LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Departments: Freedom of Information

Michael Wills: To ask the Leader of the House what estimate he has made of the cost to  (a) his Office and  (b) the Privy Council Office of monitoring the time spent processing requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for the purposes of the proposed fees regulations.

Jack Straw: In spring 2006 the Department for Constitutional Affairs conducted an exercise across central Government Departments to assess the time taken to process freedom of information requests received in a monitored period.
	No data were collected to estimate the cost of conducting this exercise.

WALES

Departments: Freedom of Information

Michael Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of monitoring the time spent processing requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for the purposes of the proposed fees regulations.

Peter Hain: In spring 2006, the Department for Constitutional Affairs conducted an exercise across central Government Departments to assess the time taken to process freedom of information requests received in a monitored period. The Wales Office undertook no special exercise to make its estimate, and incurred no discernible extra cost.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Avian Influenza

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the challenges of effective methods of preventing the spread of the H5N1 virus across the country.

Ben Bradshaw: DEFRA's priority is to eradicate the outbreak of avian influenza as quickly and effectively as possible using a tried and tested contingency plan. In a domestic poultry flock high pathogenic avian influenza is generally lethal and fast moving. Therefore, slaughter of the infected flock and any dangerous contacts, together with stringent movement and other controls around the infected premises, is the best way of dealing rapidly with this disease. We have eradicated previous outbreaks of avian influenza in domestic birds without further spread using this method as have many other member states.
	DEFRA has put in place a three kilometre protection zone, a 10 kilometre surveillance zone and a further restricted zone, covering North East Suffolk and South East Norfolk, around the infected premises. The restricted zone has been defined to include significant populations of wild birds in the immediate area. Poultry owners within the restricted zone are required to house or otherwise isolate their birds. Movement restrictions have also been put in place.
	Elsewhere in the country, we will continue to pursue our existing wild bird surveillance programme on live and dead wild birds which is targeted to those areas likely to be at greatest risk, including the restricted zone in Norfolk and Suffolk.

Avian Influenza

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many tonnes of poultry products were moved from the poultry farm in Suffolk infected with avian influenza after the disease was identified; and to which location they were removed.

Ben Bradshaw: 159,000 turkeys were killed as part of the disease control operation on the farm. In order to complete the control operation safely and efficiently 586 tonnes of carcases were moved from the farm to a site in Staffordshire for rendering.
	The processing plant on the adjacent site has continued to operate as normal because it is not under restriction.

Avian Influenza

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which Hungarian plants were involved in the slaughter and processing of poultry products imported into the UK prior to the outbreak of avian influenza at the Bernard Matthews plant in Suffolk; and at what distance they were located from the Hungarian farm at which there was an outbreak of avian influenza in January.

Ben Bradshaw: The only products imported from Hungary by Bernard Matthews Ltd Foods to the Holton premises during the risk period are turkey breasts. The products came from two turkey slaughterhouses in Hungary:
	Saga Foods Zrt.
	9600 Sarvar
	Soprani u. 15
	Hungary
	Approval No. HU—109
	Gallfood Pulykafeldogozo es
	Ertekesito Kft
	Kecskemet
	Cegledi ut 11
	Hungary
	Approval No. HU—106
	Saga is in Sarvar in north west Hungary and Gallfood is in Kecskemet which is 50 kilometres outside the current restricted avian flu zone.

Avian Influenza

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects the Holton farms to be allowed to rear turkeys again.

Ben Bradshaw: An infected premises may not be re-stocked until at least 21 days after secondary cleansing and disinfection of the premises.
	Secondary cleansing and disinfection is the responsibility of the poultry keeper. This has not yet begun on this site.
	Primary cleansing and disinfection was undertaken by the State Veterinary Service and was completed on Thursday 8 February.

Avian Influenza

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimates he has made of the cost of the H5N1 outbreak to Bernard Matthews' company.

Ben Bradshaw: No such estimate has been made as this is a commercial matter for the company involved.

Avian Influenza

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of vehicle movements in and out of Holton on a typical day before the H5N1 outbreak; how many take place on a typical day now; and how many such movements are of vehicles from  (a) abroad and  (b) Hungary.

Ben Bradshaw: DEFRA does not hold information on the number of vehicle movements in and out of Holton on a typical day.

Avian Influenza

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to restrict imports from countries which have experienced outbreaks of the H5N1 virus.

Ben Bradshaw: Import restrictions are decided at the EU Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, effectively the EU Veterinary Committee. The committee, on which DEFRA veterinarians are able to vote, discusses disease outbreaks and preventative measures that will be applied.
	Such measures can involve placing restrictions on imports from regions within countries, or on whole countries. If necessary, DEFRA transposes these restrictions into UK legislation. The DEFRA website has a list of current restrictions.

Birds and Habitats Directives

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 23 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1637W, on birds and habitats directives, for what reasons the designation process for the Akrotiri peninsula and Episkopi cliffs important bird area under British Sovereign base area law as a special protection zone is expected to last until 2009; and what considerations are taken into account in such designations other than scientific criteria.

Barry Gardiner: The designation of the Akrotiri peninsula and Episkopi cliffs as special protection zones is expected to last until 2009 to enable the development of a robust and scientifically justifiable dataset, which will ensure they receive the highest possible protection. Botanical and faunal surveys will need to be undertaken and existing datasets will need to go through a quality assurance process. There will be no other criteria used in the designation process except scientific criteria. However, the local authorities (British Sovereign base area) will also need to consult stakeholders, consider their responses and work closely with the Republic of Cyprus authorities.

Cultural Heritage: Finance

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much public money his Department spent on heritage in each year since 1997.

Barry Gardiner: holding answer 19 February 2007
	The Department does not have a specific budget for heritage support. However, it recognises the close relationship between the natural and man-made environments and the importance heritage sites can have for rural communities and the economy. A number of funding streams make a contribution to the historic environment, particularly in rural areas where agri-environment schemes provide support for the renovation of traditional farm buildings, protection of archaeology on farmland, landscape enhancement, and the restoration of historic parks.
	The amounts my Department has spent on heritage-related schemes since its inception, through schemes funded by the Rural Development Programme for England, such as the Environmentally Sensitive Areas Scheme, the Countryside Stewardship Scheme, and the Rural Enterprise Scheme, and through the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund are as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2000-01 13.0 
			 2001-02 13.7 
			 2002-03 24.6 
			 2003-04 29.8 
			 2004-05 40. 7 
			 2005-06 33.2 
		
	
	Other DEFRA-related bodies, such as the National Park Authorities, the Broads Authority, English Nature and the Countryside Agency also provided support towards heritage objectives over this period. Natural England, the successor to the latter two bodies, has similar powers to fund heritage projects.

Environment Protection: EC Law

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to implement the Environmental Liability Directive; and what progress has been made against the 30 April 2007 deadline for transposing the directive into UK law.

Barry Gardiner: The Government wish to implement the Environmental Liability Directive as soon as possible, and we are undertaking two planned consultations to achieve that aim. The first of these consultations is already under way and closes at the end of February: it involves policy options for transposing the directive. The second exercise, involving draft legislation, is planned to take place later this year.
	The 30 April deadline will not be met. However, the Government want to ensure that the implementation of this challenging directive is informed by optimum stakeholder engagement.

Poultry: EC Law

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the EU Laying Hens Directive will come into force.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 30 January 2007,  Official Report, column 160W.

Recycling

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of the impact of kerbside collection of recyclables on the rate of recycling in England; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what proportion of households were served by some form of kerbside collection of material to be recycled in  (a) the North West,  (b) the North East,  (c) Yorkshire and the Humber,  (d) the East Midlands,  (e) the West Midlands,  (f) the East,  (g) London,  (h) the South East,  (i) the South West and  (j) the whole of England in each year since 1996-97; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Around 94 per cent. of households in England were served by a kerbside collection for at least one recyclable material in 2005-06, compared to 69 per cent. in 2002-03.
	The increase in provision of a quality kerbside collection service has undoubtedly made it easier for households to recycle and contributed to the increase in household recycling/composting rates, which have trebled in the last eight years and nearly quadrupled since 1997.
	Best Value Performance Indicator (BVPI) data on the percentage of households served by a kerbside collection of recyclables are only available from 2002-03 onwards and the regional estimates are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Percentage of households served by kerbside collection of recyclables 
			  Percentage 
			   2005-06  2004-05  2003-04  2002-03 
			 E Midlands 94 94 87 77 
			 Eastern 97 94 90 77 
			 London 94 89 81 66 
			 North East 97 96 92 50 
			 North West 93 93 88 75 
			 South East 95 93 91 85 
			 South West 97 91 87 74 
			 W Midlands 91 80 73 54 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 93 86 74 48 
			 England 94 90 85 69 
			  Source: Estimates based on Audit Commission, Best Value Performance indicator 91a. 
		
	
	Prior to 2002-03, BVPI 91a measured the percentage of households served by any collection of recyclables (including bring sites within one kilometre). Data collected before this year, therefore, do not necessarily indicate provision of a kerbside collection service.
	The total tonnage of material collected by local authorities for recycling or composting from household sources in England since l996-97 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Tonnage of recyclate collected kerbside from household sources by local authorities 
			   Thousand tonnes 
			 1996-97 298 
			 1997-98 415 
			 1998-99 616 
			 1999-2000 756 
			 2000-01 818 
			 2001-02 963 
			 2002-03 1,245 
			 2003-04 1,895 
			 2004-05 n/a 
			 2005-06 3,834 
			 n/a = not available.  Source: DETR/Defra Municipal Waste Management Survey, WasteDataFlow

Retail Consortium

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many times  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department have met representatives from the British Retail Consortium in the last 12 months.

Barry Gardiner: My hon. Friend, the Minister for Climate Change and the Environment (Ian Pearson) attended a retailer summit meeting with my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary on 19 October that included two representatives from the British Retail Consortium, and my noble Friend Lord Rooker met Kevin Hawkins of the British Retail Consortium on the 28 November 2006.

Rights of Way

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the Discovering Lost Ways project.

Barry Gardiner: Work on the demonstration phase of Discovering Lost Ways is progressing well with research work in Cheshire nearing completion and work in Shropshire well advanced. During 2007, the project team will assess the results of this early work with the aim of improving the efficiency of the research process and working with others to identify how this might be used most effectively to get valuable routes on the ground. This will inform how and when further rollout to other counties takes place (preparatory work has already taken place in Dorset, Lancashire and Nottinghamshire as well as Merseyside and Greater Manchester authorities).

Waste Management: Clinical Wastes

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what investigations he has commissioned or supported into methods of disposal of medical waste.

Ben Bradshaw: DEFRA, the Department of Health, the Environment Agency, the Health and Safety Executive and the Health Protection Agency have worked closely with interested parties from the public and private sectors to develop comprehensive guidance on the safe management of healthcare waste. This guidance promotes the segregation of the various types of healthcare waste and includes details of the types of technology that are suitable for their safe disposal. These include high temperature incineration, pyrolysis, plasma technology, gasification, thermal heat disinfection, chemical disinfection and other chemical systems. In fact, evidence suggests that much healthcare waste is non-hazardous and can be landfilled or sent for recovery at facilities for non-hazardous waste.

Waste Management: EC Law

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to be able to introduce fully the EU directive on individual producer responsibility into UK waste regulations.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I have been asked to reply.
	The WEEE Directive introduces the concept of individual producer responsibility for electrical and electronic equipment put on the EU market. The UK Government will be working with relevant parties to determine when and how best the UK can move to IPR for WEEE in the future. As part of this process, the WEEE Regulations require producer compliance schemes to report by the end of 2007 on how producers could move towards IPR.

Waste Management: Hazardous Substances

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to increase visibility in the waste chain following the introduction of Hazardous Waste Regulations in 2005.

Ben Bradshaw: The Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005 require that all movements of hazardous waste are tracked from the point of production to the final point of disposal or recovery.
	Tracking is achieved by a consignment note, which must accompany the waste and include details of the producer, carrier and consignee as well as details on the type, amount and properties of the hazardous waste. Copies of the note must be kept by all in the management chain (that is, the producer, holder, consignor, carrier and consignee). Those receiving hazardous waste must submit quarterly returns to the Environment Agency (EA), summarising the consignments received. They must also send a return to the producer confirming receipt of the waste.
	In addition, subject to a few exceptions for small and low risk premises, all premises producing hazardous waste must be notified to the EA annually and are subject to appropriate EA inspection.

Waste Management: Private Finance Initiative

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs why his Department is adopting a new private finance initiative proposal for waste credits; which local authorities will be eligible; and how bids will be prioritised.

Ben Bradshaw: The Private Finance Initiative (PFI) system has a key role in helping local authorities (LAs) to finance the estimated £11 billion of infrastructure required for the UK to meet its targets for reducing dependence on landfill.
	The previous waste PFI system allowed local authorities to apply for credits at any time of the year. The introduction of Awards Rounds in the new system means that the relative contribution of each case to the overall PFI programme can be properly assessed and that PFI credits will no longer be awarded on a "first come, first served" basis.
	These new arrangements, similar to those used by other Departments, will allow us to match the flow of procurement to the capacity of the market as it expands. By giving greater certainty to the market, the new approach should in itself encourage new bidders into the market and thereby relieve any supply side constraints. The new system also encourages a partnership approach, which should offer increased value for money as well as other delivery benefits.
	LAs with a waste disposal function that bring forward relevant projects can qualify for credits. Eligibility will be based, in part, on compliance with the published waste PFI criteria, and partly on additional criteria to be published in May 2007 focusing on scale, deliverability, readiness as well as environmental objectives.

Wildlife: Smuggling

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what co-funding partners have been found to establish a workshop on internet wildlife trade at the forthcoming Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in June 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: The EU has submitted a proposal (originally prepared by the UK) to consider the issue of illegal trade in wildlife resulting from the use of the internet. Part of this proposal is to convene a workshop to consider this subject. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Conference of Parties, which takes place in the Hague in June this year, will consider this proposal along with many others. If the proposal is accepted by CITES Parties, a request for voluntary funding to support the workshop will be made by the CITES Secretariat.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

British Petroleum

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what  (a) correspondence and  (b) discussions he has had with British Petroleum plc in the last 12 months.

Hilary Benn: I have written to British Petroleum plc once in the last year enclosing a copy of DFID White Paper "Eliminating World Poverty: Making Governance Work for the Poor". I have not met with them in the last year.

Burundi: Floods

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support his Department has made available to help those affected by the flood in Burundi.

Hilary Benn: Parts of Karuzi, Gitega, Rutana, Ruyigi, Cankuzo and Kayanza provinces of Burundi have been affected by torrential rain and flooding, destroying more than 2,400 houses and affecting an estimated 10,000 people. Overall, the World Food Programme has estimated that as many as two million people, including those affected by the flooding, may need humanitarian assistance. The Government of Burundi have requested the United Nations Office of Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Burundi to co-ordinate a response.
	DFID is monitoring the situation closely and our humanitarian adviser will visit the country next week. In the meantime, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other NGOs have been supporting flood relief. DFID gave a £500,000 contribution to the ICRC's appeal for its operations in Burundi in November last year. We have also contributed £6,000,000 to the Government of Burundi's emergency rehabilitation plan, and are working with Government and other partners to approve an urgent allocation to flood relief from these funds. We await a final needs assessment on 26 February and are ready to respond further and quickly once precise needs are known.

Departments: Consultants

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which external consultants were used by  (a) his Department and  (b) each of its agencies in relation to private finance initiatives in 2005-06; and what the (i) nature and (ii) cost of the work was in each case.

Gareth Thomas: DFID did not use any external consultants in relation to private finance initiatives in 2005-06.

Departments: Retirement

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many employees from his Department have been asked to retire upon reaching 65 years of age as a result of the Department's mandatory retirement policy in each year since 1997.

Gareth Thomas: According to our records, DFID has asked two staff to retire at age 65 since 1997, one each in 2005 and 2006.
	DFID operates, with effect from 1 October 2006, a default retirement age of 65 for staff. We also operate a 'right to request' procedure for staff who want to work beyond 65. This arrangement also applies to senior civil servants, but decisions about their retirement age rest with the Cabinet Office. DFID's default retirement age until September 2002 was 60, and staff normally retired at that age. From September 2002, we introduced for staff below the senior civil service the option to work until age 65.
	Current staff can continue to choose to retire at age 60, which is pension age under the civil service pension scheme, or work on up to age 65. New staff from 1 July 2007 will have to work until age 65 following changes in the pension scheme.
	We currently have three staff working beyond age 65. DFID is keeping its default retirement age of 65 under review. If experience and evidence shows that we are able to remove the default retirement age without negative impact on performance and workforce planning, we will consider this in advance of the Government's review of the Equality Employment (Age) Regulations in 2011.

Developing Countries: Bank Services

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects his Department is funding on mobile banking in developing countries.

Gareth Thomas: DFID believes that mobile phone banking can help achieve the UK Government's White Paper commitment to tackle the barriers that prevent poor people from gaining access to financial services. Mobile phone banking has the potential to reach poor people in developing countries who are currently not served by banks or other providers of formal financial services.
	DFID is working, in collaboration with other donors and partner Governments, to support projects in three main areas:
	Encouraging competition in banking, telecommunications and mobile phone banking and offering incentives to the private sector to develop new business models that serve the poor. Through the Financial Deepening Challenge Fund, DFID provided a grant to Safaricom, a subsidiary of Vodafone in Kenya, to pilot M-Pesa, a mobile banking solution which allows people to send and receive money through their mobile phones without the need for a bank account. This is now being scaled up internationally by Vodafone and Citigroup.
	Providing assistance to regulators to build capacity, reform regulations and raise awareness of issues. DFID has funded a report on how to create the best policy and legal framework for mobile phone banking based on its work with regulators in Kenya and South Africa and is supporting assessments on the state of the regulatory environment in 10 countries.
	Undertaking research to show that there is a large potential market among the poor for mobile phone banking and other new approaches. DFID is sponsoring access to finance surveys in nine countries in Africa and one in Asia to encourage the private sector to develop new products and services targeted at the poor.

Remittances

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the total amounts paid in remittances from the UK to developing countries in each of the last five years.

Hilary Benn: Sending money home to families in developing countries plays a vital role in helping to tackle poverty at household level and also has significant benefits to the economy.
	There is a lack of reliable and accurate data to quantify remittances from the UK and other parts of the world. DFID established a Remittances Working Group in 2004, both to work on reducing the cost of sending remittances to developing countries, and to improve the quality and availability of data on the UK remittances market. According to the Working Group, estimates for total remittances sent from the UK to developing countries range from £463 million to £2.8 billion. The World Bank estimated remittance outflows from the U.K. in 2001 as approximately £900 million.
	The five largest recipients of remittances from the UK to developing countries are India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Jamaica and Ghana. While there are still no accurate data on remittance flows from the UK to Africa, the available data and estimates suggest that around £0.5 billion flows from the UK to that continent each year in the form of remittances. In Africa, the majority of remittances from the UK go to Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Kenya and Somalia.
	DFID commissioned an in depth household survey of ethnic minority groups in the UK and their remittance patterns to further improve data and understanding, which was the first survey to provide reliable household data on remittance outflows from the UK.
	The survey results were launched in July 2006, and showed that one-third of people of ethnic minority origins in the UK sent money abroad in the last year. On average, people sent £874 per year, and almost a third of senders said the money would be used to buy food, a fifth said it would help with medical bills and one in six reported that the funds would help pay for schooling. 80 per cent. said the money would make a real difference to the lives of their relatives back home.
	It is clear that remittance flows from the UK are large and growing. DFID recognises the positive impact that remittances can make on peoples' lives in developing countries, and has an active agenda to improve the developmental impact of these individual money transfers, seeking to help make remittances cheaper, safer and more accessible. DFID also supports the development of the financial sector in low income countries so that people receiving remittances have access to some form of savings account or other financial services.
	The UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) is a member of the IMF's Balance of Payments Statistics Committee, which has the responsibility for improving remittances data from Balance of Payments figures. The last update of the UK Balance of Payments framework was in 1995. The next is due in 2008, and the ONS are consulting with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to ensure a coherent and useful definition of remittances is included.

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development: Renewable Energy

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department has taken since 2003 as a shareholder in the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to promote investment in renewable energy by that organisation; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has an explicit environmental mandate and aims to promote environmentally oriented and sustainable investments across all sectors. The EBRD Environmental Policy 2003 states that EBRD
	"will attach particular importance to promoting energy and resource efficiency...renewable resources...and the use of cleaner production in the projects it finances".
	EBRD actively pursues renewable energy projects.
	Each year, DFID sets its own objectives for working with the EBRD as a shareholder and on the board of directors. These have always supported the EBRD's environmental mandate and promoted sustainable energy initiatives. In 2005 DFID supported the development of EBRD's new Energy Policy, of which renewable energy is an important part. This helped EBRD to develop a strategic investment framework for sustainable energy.
	In 2006, the EBRD launched the Sustainable Energy Initiative. This was in response to the 2005 G8 Gleneagles invitation to the international financial institutions to develop an Energy Investment Framework to address the challenges of climate change. Renewable energy is one of five pillars making up the new initiative, which EBRD will use to double lending for sustainable energy purposes to €1.5 billion over the next three years. DFID plans to contribute up to £3.4 million to the initiative over the next three years.

Iraq: Poverty

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the recent UN development programme study on the number of Iraqis living in poverty.

Hilary Benn: The Iraqi Central Office of Statistics and Information Technology (COSIT), in conjunction with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), have recently published an analysis of "Unsatisfied Basic Needs Mapping and Living Standards in Iraq". This study is based on data from the 2004 "Iraq Living Conditions Survey"; only the analysis is new.
	The Living Standards Index used in this report is composed of 42 different indicators, identified in 2004. This means, therefore, that the assessment is out of date. As a result, we question whether the study provides a useful estimate of the number of Iraqis living in poverty.
	It is important to use internationally accepted methodologies to assess poverty in Iraq. DFID looks forward to the results of the income and expenditure survey currently being undertaken in Iraq with the support of the World Bank. This survey should provide standard estimates of poverty.

Mining: Taxation

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what advice his Department has given to recipient countries on taxation of extractive industries since 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: Since 2001 DFID has undertaken 181 tax-related projects/programmes in 44 countries and DFID departments, with a financial commitment of about £159 million.
	The principal focus of this work has been on advising developing countries how to improve their tax and customs administration—with the emphasis on improving governance, human resource development and tax efficiency. More recent work has focused on advice on tax policy and broader issues of how the tax system can contribute to state-building. While such tax administration and policy work has not been specifically geared to the extractive industries, it covers matters that ultimately benefit all sectors of the economy, including the extractives.
	Our approach to taxation of extractive industries has been to advise Governments on how to increase transparency and accountability over the revenues paid by extractive industry companies to host Governments. In 2002 the Prime Minister launched the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), through which Governments make public the payments they receive from oil, gas and mining companies, and companies make public the payments they make to Governments. To date, 26 countries have committed to implement EITI. This initiative is expected to lead to greater scrutiny over expenditure of extractive industry revenues, improving public spending and helping to reduce poverty and conflict.

Overseas Aid: Education

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding for education his Department has allocated to  (a) Zimbabwe,  (b) Uzbekistan,  (c) Uganda,  (d) Timor Leste,  (e) Sudan,  (f) Sri Lanka,  (g) Somalia,  (h) Sierra Leone,  (i) Rwanda,  (j) Republic of Congo,  (k) Papua New Guinea,  (l) Pakistan,  (m) Nigeria,  (n) Nepal,  (o) Myanmar,  (p) Liberia,  (q) Iraq,  (r) Haiti,  (s) Guinea,  (t) Ethiopia,  (u) Eritrea,  (v) Cote d'Ivoire,  (w) Colombia,  (x) Chad,  (y) Central African Republic,  (z) Cambodia, (aa) Burundi, (bb) Angola, (cc) Afghanistan and (dd) Democratic Republic of Congo for each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: Under DFID's country-led approach, country allocations are not pre-allocated by sector. Sectoral priorities are determined at country level in dialogue with recipient Governments and other partners.
	Direct DFID bilateral expenditure on education in 2005-06, for each of the listed countries, is shown in Table 1. In addition, DFID provided general budget support in the following countries: Pakistan, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Uganda. A proportion of this will have been spent on funding education. In the case of Afghanistan, DFID provided £35 million to the Reconstruction Trust Fund in 2005-06 and again a proportion of this will have been spent on education. These figures exclude DFID spending through multilateral agencies and civil society organisations.
	My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has committed the UK to spending £1 billion a year on bilateral and multilateral support to education by 2010, which represents doubling education spend over five years. DFID will be increasing allocations to our partner countries, including education. The overall increases for the three-year period 2008-09 to 2010-11 will be decided when the Comprehensive Spending Review for 2007 has been concluded later this year.
	
		
			  Table 1: Direct DFID bilateral expenditure on education in 2005-06 
			  Country  (£000) 
			 Afghanistan 0 
			 Angola 0 
			 Burma 1 
			 Burundi 1,600 
			 Cambodia 16 
			 Central African Republic 0 
			 Chad 0 
			 Colombia 3 
			 Cote d'Ivoire 0 
			 Congo, Republic of 0 
			 Congo, Democratic Republic 148 
			 Eritrea 0 
			 Ethiopia 1,936 
			 Guinea 0 
			 Haiti 0 
			 Iraq 8 
			 Liberia 389 
			 Nepal 5,643 
			 Nigeria 9,937 
			 Pakistan 1,016 
			 Papua New Guinea 0 
			 Rwanda 6,045 
			 Sierra Leone 28 
			 Somali Democratic Republic 784 
			 Sri Lanka 515 
			 Sudan 2,404 
			 Timor Leste 432 
			 Uganda 51 
			 Uzbekistan 0 
			 Zimbabwe 140

Sub-Saharan Africa: Sexual Offences

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to reduce  (a) sexual and  (b) gender-based violence in sub-Saharan Africa.

Hilary Benn: Levels of sexual and gender-based violence are unacceptably high in Africa. DFID is working with other development agencies such as UNIFEM, and partners in countries in Africa to reduce these.
	In the Democratic Republic of Congo, DFID is contributing £3 million towards a £15 million European Union project to restore justice to eastern Congo (the worst area for conflict and rape) and also to support "one stop shop" centres for rape victims as part of a police reform programme. DFID has supported sexual assault referral centres in Sierra Leone over a three year period. In northern Uganda, DFID gave UNICEF support for their work with women's groups on issues around protection and sexual violence in camps for internally displaced people, home to approximately £1.7 million people. In Lesotho, the DFID-funded Justice Sector Support Programme has helped establish 80 child and gender protection units in police stations across the country to provide victims of sexual violence access to free medical help and justice. In South Africa, a support programme on HIV/Aids is helping the Government train social service providers to better deal with sexual violence.
	In Ethiopia, DFID supported the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association to maintain a shelter for its clients, and to provide legal aid and assistance on issues that affect women. Again in Ethiopia, working at the policy level, we have supported the Ethiopian Government's development of a National Action Plan for Gender Equality. In Uganda, we have provided a four year grant to the charity Mifumi, working in Tororo, eastern Uganda, to cover Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa to advocate against domestic violence and to engage in community work on domestic violence. DFID also provides financial support to the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) which supports the Trust Fund for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the Women, Peace and Security Programme. Also with other donors and UNIFEM, DFID supports a gender and governance programme which aims to increase the number of women in parliament and leadership positions in Kenya. This helps bring greater priority to reduction in gender violence in the Government's work.

TRANSPORT

Airports: Security

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with airport operating authorities on the security regulations on the transport of liquids in aircraft.

Gillian Merron: The Secretary Of State and his officials maintain regular consultation with industry representatives on the security measures in place through formal bodies such as the National Aviation Security Committee and its sub-committees, and informal day to day dialogue.

Blue Badge Scheme

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress his Department has made on the application of the Blue Badge parking scheme to children under the age of two years suffering from a condition which requires that they are always accompanied by medical equipment which is difficult to transport.

Gillian Merron: The Government have produced draft regulations, which will extend the existing scheme to children under two, who are dependent upon 'bulky medical equipment', including ventilators and suction machines. The draft regulations will be circulated for a 12-week consultation period in March and will be implemented by September 2007.
	We will also conduct a strategic review of the scheme, which will again report in September 2007. This will assist us in developing a 'Blue Badge Reform Strategy', designed to reduce fraud and target assistance towards individuals with the most severe mobility problems.

Central Trains: Industrial Disputes

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with Central Trains about the industrial dispute between that train operating company and the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union.

Tom Harris: My officials have been in contact with Central Trains' management regarding this dispute. This is a matter for the employer and employees, but I hope that it is resolved quickly to avoid further disruption to passengers.

Central Trains: Industrial Disputes

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether Central Trains is being indemnified for losses accrued as a result of industrial action taken in the last 12 months.

Tom Harris: Central Trains has not received any indemnification for losses accrued as a result of industrial action taken in the last 12 months.

Channel Tunnel Railway Line

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effects of transferring the Eurostar International services from London Waterloo Station to London St. Pancras.

Tom Harris: The chief effect of transferring Eurostar International services to St. Pancras is that passengers will benefit from a 20 minute saving on the international leg of the journey, further increasing the attractiveness of high speed rail for international travel.

Channel Tunnel: Fees and Charges

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Government are taking to ensure that Eurotunnel prices the infrastructure charge for Channel Tunnel freight at rates the market can bear as required by European law.

Tom Harris: As required by Directive 2001/14/EC, Eurotunnel's charges for freight operators seeking to operate services through the Channel Tunnel are set out in its published Network Statement.
	Under the Channel Tunnel (International Arrangements) Order 2005, which transposes the Open Access directives to the Channel Tunnel, there is a right of appeal to the Channel Tunnel Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) against, inter alia, Eurotunnel's charging scheme or the level or structure of infrastructure fees which may be payable.

Channel Tunnel: Fees and Charges

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Government plan to take to ensure that Eurotunnel removes technical barriers to competitive service through the Channel Tunnel as required by European law.

Tom Harris: Competition policy is a matter for the relevant national competition authorities. For the UK this is the Office of Fair Trading.
	The UK has transposed the rail interoperability directives to the Channel Tunnel.
	The Channel Tunnel Intergovernmental Commission, which is the binational regulatory authority for the Channel Tunnel, has not received any request to consider any specific technical barriers to competitive service through the Tunnel.

Departments: Freedom of Information

Michael Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of monitoring the time spent processing requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for the purposes of the proposed fees regulations.

Gillian Merron: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. and learned Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Vera Baird) on Thursday 22 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1926W.

Eurostar

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will commission a new assessment of the  (a) social,  (b) economic and  (c) environmental costs and benefits of running regional Eurostar rail services.

Tom Harris: I refer the hon. Member to the response I gave on 30 October 2006,  Official Report, column 33W, to a similar question raised by my hon. Friend Member for Burton (Mrs. Dean). Any changes to Eurostar service patterns are a matter for Eurostar. The Department for Transport has no plans to undertake any review of extending Eurostar services to regional destinations.

Railways: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answers of  (a) 30 January 2007,  Official Report, column 65, on Milton Keynes station, and  (b) 19 February 2007,  Official Report, column 382W, on Pendolino trains, whether the platform length at Milton Keynes station is sufficient to accommodate trains (i) in use and (ii) planned for use on the relevant lines.

Tom Harris: I can confirm that the platform lengths at Milton Keynes Central are of sufficient length for all the present trains and those planned for use on the relevant lines at this station.

Railways: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2007,  Official Report, column 383W, on rail services, what estimate he has made of the average daily peak time spare capacity on trains not stopping at Milton Keynes; and for what reasons such trains with spare capacity do not take on passengers at Milton Keynes Station.

Tom Harris: The present estimated daily peak time spare capacity on trains not stopping at Milton Keynes Central station is around 10 per cent. of Standard class and 40 per cent. of First class. The services are designed for long distance intercity traffic which is continuing to grow. As a result there is not the accommodation for passengers wishing to board at Milton Keynes.

Railways: Subsidies

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration his Department has given to extending the remit of Kickstart capital support to cover community rail initiatives.

Tom Harris: It would not be appropriate to extend the Kickstart scheme in this way.
	The Kickstart scheme was introduced to encourage the development of new or improved bus services, providing support through DfT funding during the first two or three years of operation. The services involved have been identified as having a clear potential to become viable without special funding after this initial period.
	The Community Rail strategy is to help put rural and local railways on a more sustainable financial footing. The strategy aims to increase revenue and carry more passengers through wider awareness; increase community involvement to improve the railway through locally funded investment; and reduce costs.
	Community Rail is about getting better value for money for the services that currently operate on Community Rail lines and not specifically to develop new or improved services.

Toll Roads

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road tunnels there are without toll booths in the UK.

Stephen Ladyman: The road tunnels that have booths are the Mersey, Tyne and Dartford tunnels. All other tunnels do not have booths.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Elections

David Drew: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how many separate guidance notes the Electoral Commission has sent out to local authorities on the new electoral arrangements that will come into force in 2007.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has sent all local authorities in Great Britain a guidance manual for Returning Officers which includes guidance on the new electoral arrangements that will come into force in 2007. It also makes available to local authorities on request a handbook for polling station staff which reflects these. In addition, it has e-mailed to electoral administrators nine circulars relating to the new arrangements.
	The guidance manual and the polling station handbook are updated versions of documents made available at each election to assist electoral administrators in carrying out their duties. Electoral Commission circulars are issued either in response to queries raised by electoral administrators on the interpretation of the law, or to clarify good practice points.

Electoral Commission

Denis MacShane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what the cost to the public purse of the Electoral Commission has been in each of the last four years.

Peter Viggers: As regards the estimated resource outturn expenditure of the Electoral Commission for 2006-07, I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mr. Purchase), on 30 January 2007,  Official Report, column 151W. The audited figure for 2005-06 is given in the Commission's accounts for that year, and figures for earlier years for which information is sought in the Commission's annual report and accounts for the year concerned. Each of these documents has been laid before the House and may be viewed in the Library.

Labour Party: Donations

Mark Hoban: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, if he will make a statement on the donation made by T-Systems to the Labour Party registered 17 July 2006 as recorded by the Electoral Commission.

Peter Viggers: The Speaker's Committee has no responsibility in relation to such matters.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Departments: Freedom of Information

Michael Wills: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate she has made of the cost to her Office of monitoring the time spent processing requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for the purposes of the proposed fees regulations.

Hilary Armstrong: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 22 February 2007,  Official Report, column 865W, by my hon. and Learned Friend the Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Vera Baird).

Departments: Retirement

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many employees from her Department were asked to retire upon reaching 65 years of age as a result of the Department's mandatory retirement policy in each year since 1997.

Hilary Armstrong: Prior to 1 October 2006, Cabinet Office employees could retire at age 60. They were informed in advance of their 60(th) birthday that they were approaching the age at which they could retire, but they also had the right to request to remain past the age 60 retirement date. Since 1 October 2006, Cabinet Office has adopted a default retirement age of 65. Cabinet Office informs employees up to one year in advance of their 65(th) birthday that they are approaching age 65 retirement date. However, staff have the right to request to work beyond age 65, and are informed of the procedures for applying to do so.
	Of those who have retired since 1997, we are unable to identify if retirement was the choice of the employee or following an unsuccessful request to work beyond retirement age.

Oil

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what her policy is on the peak oil concept; and what planning the Strategy Unit has undertaken on the basis of estimates of oil reserves in  (a) 25,  (b) 50 and  (c) 100 years time.

Hilary Armstrong: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 20 February 2007,  Official Report, column 658W, by my hon. Friend, the Under-Secretary of State, Department for Trade and Industry (Jim Fitzpatrick).

Project George

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the estimated budget is of the Cabinet Office's Project George.

Hilary Armstrong: Any costs involved in the maintenance and improvement of the Cabinet Office estate are included in Cabinet Office accounts.

Smith Institute

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the timetable is for the Charity Commission investigation into the Smith Institute; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Miliband: This is a matter for the Charity Commission as the non-ministerial Government Department responsible for the regulation of charities in England and Wales. The chief executive of the Charity Commission will write to the hon. Gentleman and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library for the reference of Members.

Welfare Review

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the welfare review being conducted by David Freud.

Hilary Armstrong: In the course of official business I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues on a wide range of issues. Information relating to internal discussion and advice is not disclosed, as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion and advice.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

14-19 Education

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many of the actions listed in chapter 5 of the 14-19 implementation plan remain to be completed; and how many of those he expects to be delivered  (a) early,  (b) on time and  (c) late.

Jim Knight: We have met all the major milestones for 2005 and 2006 of the 14-19 programme as set out in chapter 5 of the implementation plan. We are working closely with our key partners and are on track with the activities for 2007 and beyond.
	Many of the actions listed in chapter 5 of the implementation plan do not have specific milestones identified. We have developed detailed plans for each of these activities, which we are on track to deliver. Work force support is one example of this.
	We have taken the decision to move our milestones related to the apprenticeship qualification. Pilots for these will begin in March 2007 instead of September 2006, and a final decision on the future of apprenticeship qualifications will be made in light of the pilots. The deferral of these milestones will not affect overall delivery of the programme.
	A summary of the major achievements of the 14-19 programme to date has been placed in the Library. This is set out according to our three key priorities: raising attainment; designing new curriculum and qualifications; and creating the local delivery infrastructure.

Adult Education

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he plans to take to encourage learning and skills councils to undertake outreach work to adults who lack skills and are not engaged in education.

Bill Rammell: The overarching objectives and priorities of the learning and skills councils are set by the Secretary of State for Education and Skills. A key priority for public funding of adult learning is to help those who need it most, that is those without the employability skills represented by a literacy and numeracy and a first full level 2 qualification. Individual colleges and other providers take the action necessary, including outreach and working with local communities, to help people back into learning, to achieve and to progress. As a result the Under-Secretary of State for Education and Skills, my hon. Friend the Member for Corby (Phil Hope) was able to announce on 20 February that we have met our interim target to help 1.5 million people improve their basic skills by 2007, measured by the number of learners achieving a first national Skills for Life qualification in literacy, language or numeracy. In addition we have made significant progress with the Adult Level 2 target and are on course to comfortably exceed the 2006 interim milestone—one million more adults in the work force between 2003 and 2006.

Children in Care: Human Trafficking

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what systems are in place to monitor trafficked children missing from the care of local authorities.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 19 February 2007
	In November 2002, the Department of Health published "Children Missing from Care and Home—a guide to good practice" in tandem with the Social Exclusion Units report "Young Runaways". This was issued along with Circular LAC (2002)17 under section 7 of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970, making the guidance a requirement for local authorities. This guidance requires that local authorities and the police should draw up protocols about the management of "missing from care incidents". If a looked after child, who may have been trafficked, goes missing from their care placement, then the local authority should follow the standard protocol arrangements agreed with the police for managing missing from care incidents.

Classics: Curriculum

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to promote access to the teaching of classics in state schools.

Jim Knight: While we welcome the decisions made by those schools that choose to teach the classics and any of its constituent subjects, the subject remains non-statutory. Therefore, it is for individual schools and their governing bodies to decide whether to include the classics in their curriculum.

Departments: Theft

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what items valued at above £100 were reported as stolen from his Department's buildings or premises in the last 12 months.

Parmjit Dhanda: The number of items valued at above £100 that have been reported as being stolen from the Department for Education and Skills in the last 12 months is as follows:
	
		
			   Number of items 
			 London Headquarters Office, Sanctuary Buildings 1 
			 Sheffield 0 
			 Darlington 1 
			 Runcorn 1 
			 Total 3

Digital Curriculum Initiative

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he has taken to monitor the BBC's compliance with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's conditions for the Digital Curriculum Initiative.

Jim Knight: It is not my Department's role to monitor the BBC's compliance with conditions for BBC Jam (formerly the Digital Curriculum) which have been set by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. However officials in the Department are working closely with partner organisations and other Departments, including the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, to ensure that the best educational outcomes are achieved for learners.

English for Speakers of Other Languages

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills from which budget he plans to fund a new English for speakers of other languages market as referred to in his Department's Notes of English for speakers of other languages policy update meeting of 5 December 2006.

Phil Hope: The new English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) qualifications for work will be funded initially by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) through the adult learning budget.
	However, more detailed funding arrangements are a matter for the LSC and Mark Haysom, the Chief Executive, has written to my hon. Friend explaining the more detailed arrangements and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Library.
	 Letter from Mark Haysom, dated 19 February 2007:
	The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has recently been working closely with the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) and awarding bodies on the development of a new range of work focussed English language qualifications. These qualifications will be related to the existing English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) qualifications; however they will be more suitable for those learners who are literate in their own first language.
	The present ESOL qualifications fall under the Skills for Life strategy, and as such are funded from the adult learning budget. The new ESOL for work qualifications which will be available from August 2007 and will be funded through adult learning budget.
	The existing Skills for Life ESOL qualifications will continue to be available where appropriate (to those learners who have basic skills needs as well as English language needs).
	I trust this answers your question.

Graduates: Debts

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the average level of graduate debt in  (a) England,  (b) Stockport Metropolitan borough council area and  (c) Cheadle constituency.

Bill Rammell: The Student Income and Expenditure Survey 2004/05, published on 30 March 2006, is a comprehensive study of students' income, expenditure, borrowing and debt. It showed that English domiciled full-time students graduating in academic year 2004/05 anticipated, on average, a total debt of £7,918. Sub-national figures are not available.
	A generous package of support is now available to students. The Government have re-introduced non-repayable grants of up to £2,700 for full-time students. In 2006/07 around half of new full-time entrants were eligible for a full or partial grant. Non-repayable bursaries, typically worth £1,000, are available from universities and colleges to those from low income backgrounds. Additional help is available to students facing financial hardship from the Access to Learning Fund administered by individual higher education institutions.
	Student loans are available for tuition fees, as well as living costs, so no student has to find their fees before or during their studies. These loans are only repayable after a student has left their course and only then when their annual income reaches £15,000. The rates of interest are well below that of commercial credit and students only pay back in real terms the amount they originally borrow.

Home Education

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1111W, on home education, which organisations and individuals his officials have consulted in drafting guidelines for local authorities on elective home education.

Jim Knight: The list of organisations and individuals my officials consulted on the draft local authority guidelines from 18 February to 29 April 2005, is in the following list:
	Advisory Centre for Education
	Bedfordshire County Council
	Business Link Kent
	Cambridgeshire County Council
	London Borough of Camden
	Coventry City Council
	Derbyshire County Council
	Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council
	Dorset County Council
	Education Otherwise Association Ltd.
	Essex County Council
	London Borough of Greenwich
	Herefordshire County Council
	London Borough of Hillingdon
	Home Education Advisory Service
	Home Education UK
	Home Service
	Lancashire County Council
	Leeds City Council
	Medway Council
	Middlesbrough Council
	Newcastle City Council
	North Lincolnshire Council
	Professional Association of Teachers
	Scottish Executive
	Staffordshire County Council
	The European Academy for Christian Homeschooling
	Telford and Wrekin Council
	Warwickshire County Council
	Welsh Assembly
	West Midlands Consortium Education Service for Traveller Children
	Wolverhampton City Council

Languages: Curriculum

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the adequacy of  (a) current and  (b) future capacity for the teaching of Portuguese at (i) secondary school level and (ii) in higher education; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: No assessment has been made of the adequacy of current and future capacity of the teaching of Portuguese in secondary schools. The number of pupils taking a GCSE in Portuguese was 727 in 2006, with 141 taking A-level Portuguese. In higher education, enrolments to courses in Portuguese are increasing. The numbers of students studying Portuguese at undergraduate and postgraduate level at higher education institutions in the United Kingdom rose from 530 in 2002/03 to 710 in 2005/06, the latest year for which figures are available, an increase of 34 per cent.

Physiotherapy: Training

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many students are expected to graduate in physiotherapy in England in 2007;
	(2)  how many places on  (a) recognised access,  (b) undergraduate and  (c) postgraduate physiotherapy courses are expected to be offered in England in autumn (i) 2007, (ii) 2008 and (iii) 2009.

Bill Rammell: The available information relates to entrants to and qualifiers from physiotherapy courses from 2002/03 to 2004/05. It was provided by the Information Centre for Health and Social Care. Comparable information for 2005/06 is expected to be made available in March.
	
		
			  Entrants to and qualifiers from pre-registration physiotherapy courses at higher education institutions in England, academic years 2002/03 to 2004/05 
			  Number 
			  Academic year  Entrants  Qualifiers 
			 2002/03 1,935 1,335 
			 2003/04 2,100 1,395 
			 2004/05 2,245 1,685 
			  Notes: 1. The figures in the table have been rounded to the nearest 5. 2. The figures exclude physiotherapy students on courses at Manchester Royal Infirmary, accredited by the university of Manchester, as data on these students are not collected by HESA.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record. 
		
	
	The Department does not produce estimates of projected number of graduates and estimates of projected number of students are not routinely disaggregated by specific subjects.

Schools: Admissions

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of children in each English local authority with a selective admissions system took the 11-plus test in each of the last 10 years; and how many places there were in wholly selective maintained schools in each authority in each year.

Jim Knight: holding answer 20 February 2007
	The available information has been placed in the Library.
	Information on 11-plus tests and places in grammar (wholly selective) schools is not collected centrally. The information given is number of pupils in grammar schools by local authority in England.

Schools: Developing Countries

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many school partnerships have been established between Wearside schools and schools in developing countries.

Jim Knight: The Department for Education and Skills does not keep central information about international school partnerships. These can be arranged through a range of individuals and organisations, including government, non-government, local authorities and schools.
	However, as an example, under the Department for International Development's Global School Partnerships (DGSP) programme, Easington Community School in County Durham is partnered with St. Augustine's CofE School in Ghana and the Venerable Bede School in Ryhope, Sunderland is partnered with St. John's School in Manyoni, Tanzania.

Schools: Sports

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what guidance he provides to schools to encourage intra- and inter-school sport competition;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the percentage of schools that compete in inter-school sport competitions;
	(3)  how many competition managers were employed in school sports partnerships in 2006-07;
	(4)  what process is in place to assess Physical Education, School Sport and Club Links returns from each school sport partnership;
	(5)  what percentage of 5 to 16 year olds took part in competitive inter-school sport in each of the last five years;
	(6)  how the effectiveness of the Club Links element of the Physical Education, School Sports and Club Links strategy is assessed.

Jim Knight: The Department issues no formal guidance to schools specifically to encourage intra- and inter-school sport competition. Competitive games activities are a compulsory part of the national curriculum for physical education for all pupils aged 5 to 14.
	The Department does not collect data relating to the percentage of schools taking part in inter-school competition. However, evidence suggests that all maintained schools do so to some extent. In addition, the annual school sport survey, carried out, analysed and validated by an independent research company, shows that some 37 per cent. of pupils in school sport partnership schools took part in inter-school competition in 2005/06. The figure for 2004/05 was 35 per cent., and for 2003/04 was 33 per cent. Data were not collected before 2003/04.
	Inter-school competition is being boosted through the work of competition managers. At the end of December last year, 52 competition managers were in post. By the end of 2007, there will be at least 90.
	The main aim of the Club Links programme is to increase the percentage of 5 to 16-year-olds who are members of, or who participate in, accredited sports clubs linked to schools. The effectiveness of the programme is measured through the annual school sport survey. The 2005/06 survey found that 27 per cent. of 5 to 16-year-olds were linked to sports clubs. This beat the 2006 target by 7 percentage points.

Schools: Uniforms

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answers of 30 January 2007,  Official Report, column 222W, on school uniforms, what consideration he has since given to whether the school uniform guidance needs updating to cover the new admissions code and other relevant developments in the law; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department is currently updating its school uniform guidance which will be published for consultation in the spring.

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what consideration the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority gave to the content of the curriculum in use in  (a) South Africa and  (b) other countries with higher performance levels when designing the new programmes of study as part of the secondary curriculum review.

Jim Knight: Each year the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority meets around 100 international delegations to inform them about the curriculum and qualifications in England, and to share examples of good practice from around the world. The Director of Curriculum at QCA recently visited South Africa to learn more about its curriculum.

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what definition he uses of "bear in mind", as used in the notes to the revised programmes of study for Key Stage 3 English designed by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority as part of the secondary curriculum review with reference to teachers to bearing in mind non-standard usages of English.

Jim Knight: The revised programme of study for Key Stage 3 English states that pupils should be able to vary vocabulary, structures and grammar to convey meaning, including speaking standard English fluently. In order to teach standard English it is necessary to be aware of, and to take into consideration, the most common non-standard usages of English.

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his definition is of  (a) tableaux,  (b) hot seating and  (c) thought tracking as used in the notes to the revised programmes of study for Key Stage 3 English designed by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority as part of the secondary curriculum review.

Jim Knight: The notes are provided by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority as guidance for teachers. They are not part of the statutory requirements of the revised national curriculum programmes of study. Tableaux, hot seating and thought tracking are all standard drama techniques which teachers use.

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what informal consultation the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority conducted with parents prior to the development of the revised secondary programmes of study;
	(2)  what steps the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority is taking to ensure that  (a) parents,  (b) pupils,  (c) school governing bodies,  (d) teachers and  (e) headteachers are (i) aware of and (ii) able to respond to the consultation on the national curriculum programme of study;
	(3)  what the intended audience is of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority consultation on the national curriculum programmes of study;
	(4)  whether materials subject to consultation on the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority secondary curriculum review are available in paper format;
	(5)  what steps the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has taken to ensure that the materials on the QCA secondary curriculum review website are available to groups who cannot access them online;
	(6)  when the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority plans to publish the summary of responses to the consultation on the secondary curriculum review.
	(7)  which official within the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority is responsible for ensuring that the consultation on the secondary curriculum review follows best practice;
	(8)  what alternative changes to the curriculum the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority has considered in addition to their favoured proposals set out in the secondary curriculum review.

Jim Knight: In developing the new secondary curriculum the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) talked with over 4,500 teachers and head teachers, approximately 1,000 officers from local authorities and more than 3,000 other parties including parents, governors and pupils.
	The consultation launch at the British Library generated a great deal of media coverage. QCA is using its website and ongoing communications with stakeholders and customers to raise awareness of the consultation.
	QCA is seeking the views of schools, teachers, governors, parents and pupils through its consultation. The consultation is primarily being conducted online, although QCA will provide printed consultation documents and other formats on request. A summary of the consultation responses will be published some time after the consultation ends on 30 April. The chief executive of the QCA is responsible for ensuring that all of its consultations follow best practice.
	In developing its final recommendations for the secondary curriculum, QCA considered a very wide range of proposals.

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  whether schools will be required to have regard to the supporting materials which accompany the proposed programmes of study as part of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority secondary curriculum review;
	(2)  whether he plans to make the supporting materials on the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority secondary curriculum review website part of the National Curriculum.

Jim Knight: There is no requirement upon schools to have regard to supporting materials produced to accompany the secondary curriculum review.
	There are no plans to make the supporting materials on the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority secondary curriculum review website part of the national curriculum.

Special Educational Needs

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the  (a) statutory and  (b) non-statutory duties of special educational needs (SEN) advisers are; what (i) guidance and (ii) legislation sets out their duties; what mechanisms of accountability are in place to audit their performance; and what targets have been set to measure effectiveness of SEN advisers.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department's Special Educational Needs Adviser Team was appointed in 2004 to provide support to local authorities in their strategic planning and management of provision for children with special educational needs in the context of the Government's Special Educational Needs Strategy "Removing Barriers to Achievement". Their duties are non-statutory.
	"Removing Barriers to Achievement" indicates that their role includes providing advice in relation to building the capacity of schools to meet children's needs earlier and where possible without the need for a statement; developing a spectrum of provision to meet local needs; improving information to parents on special educational provision while reducing unnecessary bureaucracy. A report on the work of the advisers is published at www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/sen

Teaching Methods

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the practice of teaching in discrete academic subjects at  (a) Key Stage 3 and  (b) Key Stage 4.

Jim Knight: The best teachers are those who have a real enthusiasm and passion for the subjects they teach and who have developed the detailed understanding and confidence to apply the principles of good teaching and learning across the whole curriculum. In March 2003, we consulted on how subject specialism might be more effectively supported and developed through the school work force.
	Research also suggests that drawing connections between different subjects and areas of the curriculum is an effective approach which impacts on pupils' learning. The revised secondary curriculum will provide greater opportunity for pupils to develop deep subject knowledge and a better understanding of the connections between subjects.

Union Academy

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what public funding has been supplied to  (a) the Union Academy and  (b) Union Learning; and what courses have been funded involving (i) media studies, (ii) negotiating skills and (iii) economics.

Phil Hope: In 2006-07, the Department has made available £16.9 million to help trade unions develop the key role they can play in raising the demand for learning and skills in the workplace. £4.4 million was allocated to support unionlearn, the TUC's new learning organisation (academy), and £12.5 million was allocated to support the Union Learning Fund. The primary purpose of both these budgets is to develop the capacity of trade unions and Union Learning Representatives (ULRs) to work with employers, employees and learning providers to encourage greater take-up of learning in the workplace. The resources enable trade unions and their ULRs to provide advice, guidance and support to workers to help them access existing learning opportunities to improve their skill levels.
	There are now over 15,000 trained ULRs who have helped over 250,000 workers back into learning since the Union Learning Fund was introduced. There were more than 100,000 last year alone, a quarter of whom were Skills for Life learners, those most in need of new skills, whom employers and training providers find difficult to reach and engage.

Young People: Carers

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations he has received on the funding of young carers' services by local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 5 February 2007
	The Department routinely receives correspondence related to young carers, some of which concerns local authority funding of young carers' services.
	The Children Act 1989 places a duty on councils with children's social care responsibilities to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need in their area through the provision of services appropriate to the needs of such children. Children who are carers should routinely be assessed under the Act. Local authorities have discretion in allocating their resources to this service.
	The Department of Health supports local authorities by means of the carers grant, which will be £185 million in 2006-07 and 2007-08. Annual Department of Health guidance suggests that authorities can earmark particular percentages of their grant for the support of children, adults and older people, as well as for administration costs.
	The guidance recommends that 20 per cent. of the carers grant be targeted at children's services, including young carers. However, it is for councils to decide precisely how to allocate their funding, taking into account local demand and need for support from the various groups.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what provision is made by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety for  (a) counselling for and  (b) treatment of post-abortion trauma; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: A questionnaire sent to HSS trust chief executives found that of the 10 hospital trusts which provide in-patient maternity care, five indicated that they provide post-abortion counselling services to women considering a termination and who satisfy the legal requirements in NI.
	Draft guidance on the termination of pregnancy in Northern Ireland has recently been issued to interested parties for comment. The draft guidance states
	"care should be taken to ensure that any woman who presents with symptoms or complications following a termination of pregnancy, regardless of where it was carried out, has access to appropriate treatment and counselling where required".
	Regarding the treatment of post abortion trauma, the guidance states
	"referral for further counselling should be available for the small minority of women who experience long-term post-termination distress".

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whom the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety consulted on the physical and psychological sequelae of abortion before drawing up the guidelines on termination of pregnancy in Northern Ireland; what research was evaluated; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety set up a working group which included representatives from nursing and midwifery, obstetrics and gynaecology, public health, psychiatry, clinical genetics, family planning doctors and general practitioners to develop guidance on the termination of pregnancy in Northern Ireland. In addition to input from these health professionals, the draft guidance draws on an expert body of opinion, including evidence-based clinical guidelines from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and guidance from the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the British Medical Association (BMA) and the General Medical Council (GMC) on midwifery care, consent and confidentiality. The working group was also informed by a review of the literature on maternity and mental health provided by a consultant psychiatrist.
	The draft guidance has been issued to all interested parties for comment by 20 April 2007. Following receipt of comments final guidance will be issued.

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects the guidelines on termination of pregnancy in Northern Ireland to be adopted; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The draft guidance on termination of pregnancy for Northern Ireland has been issued to all interested parties for comment by 20 April 2007. Following receipt and consideration of comments, final guidance will be issued to relevant health professionals and statutory and voluntary groups. I will let the hon. Gentleman know when the Department of Health and Social Services and Public Safety is in a position to issue final guidance for the termination of pregnancy in NI.

Higher Education

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many non-European Economic Area (EEA) students  (a) applied for and  (b) enrolled in medical degrees at Queen's university Belfast in each of the last five years; how much in fees Queen's university Belfast received from non-EEA medical students during that period; and how many non-EEA students are studying medicine at that university, in each year of study.

Paul Goggins: The number of non-EU applicants and entrants to the School of Medicine at Queen's is as follows:
	
		
			  Queen's university Belfast—international entrants and applicants to medicine 
			  Academic year  Number of entrants  Number of applicants 
			 2002-03 13 63 
			 2003-04 13 94 
			 2004-05 12 93 
			 2005-06 12 86 
			 2006-07 12 93 
			  Source:  Queen's University Belfast 
		
	
	Students follow a five-year degree programme and in any year there will be a population of approximately 60 students with 12 in each year of study. The total fee income over the five-year period was approximately £4.682 million.

Local Government Pension Schemes

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cut-off date is for full protection of members of local government pension schemes in Northern Ireland.

David Cairns: Consideration is currently being given to the appropriate protections for existing members of the local government pension scheme in Northern Ireland. Members and employers will be advised of the outcome of that consideration in early 2007.

Meals on Wheels

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland were in receipt of meals on wheels in each health trust area  (a) at 1 January 2005 and  (b) 1 January 2007.

Paul Goggins: Information on the number of people in receipt of meals on wheels is not available centrally for the position at 1 January 2005 and 1 January 2007. Information is, however, available on the number of people in receipt of a meals service provided by each of the health and social services trusts at 31 March 2005 and 31 March 2006 (the latest date for which such information is available centrally), and is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Number in receipt of meals service 
			  Health and social services trust  31 March 2005  31 March 2006 
			 North and West Belfast 731 745 
			 South and East Belfast 978 1,047 
			 Ulster 562 585 
			 Down Lisburn 415 365 
			 Causeway 122 121 
			 Homefirst 1,332 1,393 
			 Craigavon and Banbridge 671 647 
			 Newry and Mourne 292 455 
			 Foyle 530 652 
			 Sperrin Lakeland 651 592 
			 Northern Ireland Total 6,284 6,602 
			  Notes: Information relates to all meals provided, including frozen meals (cook/chill meals service), and not only to meals on wheels. Armagh and Dungannon HSS trust does not provide a meals service. The increase in figures for Newry and Mourne HSS trust is partly due to an improved recording system in place in the trust.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure in identifying sporting talent from Northern Ireland in the run-up to the Olympic Games 2012.

Maria Eagle: The Northern Ireland Olympic Task Force have developed a draft strategy for Northern Ireland to benefit from London hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012. Identifying sporting talent is included in the strategy and this will be taken forward by the Sports Council for Northern Ireland.

Planning

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland why the draft Planning Policy Statement 14 was given full effect prior to the completion of the consultation exercise; and whether the practice in this case conformed with normal practice in the conduct of public consultations.

David Cairns: The ministerial statement that accompanied draft PPS 14 explained the reason why draft PPS 14 took immediate precedence. The statement set out the concern that the policy direction of draft PPS 14 could be seriously frustrated and undermined by a large influx of old planning applications, particularly for single dwellings, during the consultation period and before the final policy is published. A comprehensive consultation on draft PPS 14 has been undertaken which elicited 8,513 responses.

Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will introduce legislation to provide the Police Ombudsman with powers to investigate the activities of M15 officers in Northern Ireland equivalent to the powers in section 55 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 giving that office the power to investigate Serious Organised Crime Agency staff in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: Unlike the police and the Serious and Organised Crime Agency, the Security Service has no executive policing responsibilities. Further, the Security Service is in any event fully accountable through existing ministerial, parliamentary and judicial mechanisms. Therefore the Ombudsman will have no oversight of the Security Service.
	It is for the Ombudsman to put arrangements in place to enable her to communicate with the Security Service's oversight bodies on any areas of concern that might arise.

Recruitment Agencies

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department paid to recruitment agencies for the hire of temporary staff in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO), excluding its agencies and non-departmental public bodies, can only provide spend on recruitment agencies from the financial year 1998-99.
	
		
			  Financial year  Recruitment agencies costs (£) 
			 1998-99 51,349 
			 1999-2000 37,212 
			 2000-01 36,907 
			 2001-02 39,678 
			 2002-03 81,344 
			 2003-04 99,883 
			 2004-05 121,354 
			 2005-06 136,304 
		
	
	"Recruitment agency staff are only employed when appropriately skilled permanent staff are not available to fill posts. Such appointments are closely monitored with regard to the continuing need."

Regeneration

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions the Department for Social Development (DSD) has had with other departments or public bodies on the future funding requirements of voluntary and community organisations which will lose DSD funding as a result of the new Neighbourhood Renewal funding model.

David Hanson: Neighbourhood Renewal is Government's key vehicle to tackle disadvantage. In implementing this strategy Government are committed to directing resources at the core causes of deprivation based on local need. The strategy is not about supporting individual voluntary and community organisations but is focused on closing the gap in the quality of life and conditions within the worst areas of disadvantage and the rest of Northern Ireland.
	Implementation of local action plans currently being developed through a partnership approach involving Government Departments, key community, voluntary, elected and private sectors within the Neighbourhood Renewal areas, will direct funding to a smaller number of key areas to ensure improved outcomes and more effective public services.
	Implementation of this strategy over time will inevitably have implications for a range of service providers, including community and voluntary organisations. Through the work of the local Partnerships and the Neighbourhood Renewal Ministerial Group which includes all Government Departments and oversees the implementation of the Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy, these issues will continue to be discussed.

Regeneration

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which City-wide organisations in Derry have been funded through the Department for Social Development Office but will not receive future Neighbourhood Renewal Funding through Neighbourhood Partnerships.

David Hanson: The following city-wide groups are being funded through the Department for Social Development's North West Development Office:
	Gingerbread (Western Health and Social Services Board Project)
	Partnership Care West (Western Health and Social Services Board Project)
	New Horizons Partnership (Western Health and Social Services Board Project)
	The Nexus Institute (Western Health and Social Services Board Project)
	BONUS (Western Education and Library Board Project)
	Foyle Search and Rescue
	Citizens Advice Bureau
	Derry City Council's Active Citizenship Project
	Derry City Council's Shared City Project
	Older People North West—Age Concern
	Holywell Trust
	Community Development Learning Initiative
	Northern Ireland Housing Executive's Social Education Project
	NWDO is currently working with the four Neighbourhood Partnerships in Derry to develop Neighbourhood Action Plans to meet the priority needs of residents in deprived areas. These plans will inform how Neighbourhood Renewal funding and other public funding is delivered in future years. City-wide organisations currently delivering services in Neighbourhood Renewal areas have been encouraged to engage with the Neighbourhood Partnerships with a view to considering whether or not these services should be included in the Neighbourhood Action Plans. Pending receipt of final Neighbourhood Action Plans (March 2007) and their consideration by all relevant statutory bodies, no decisions can be made regarding which services or organisations might be funded.

Regeneration

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what  (a) funding and  (b) other advice the Department for Social Development is giving to those organisations whose service catchments do not fit within Neighbourhood Partnership areas.

David Hanson: The Neighbourhood Renewal strategy is focused on addressing deprivation by tackling key issues such as poor educational outcomes, lack of skills, poor employability prospects, community safety, lack of aspirations within our youth and poor health outcomes for those neighbourhoods suffering the worst levels of disadvantage.
	In working to close this gap between our worst off and the rest of Northern Ireland, Government funding will increasingly be directed at a smaller number of key areas and service providers in response to the identified needs and priorities emerging from local action plans.
	Voluntary and community groups outside the Neighbourhood Renewal areas can access numerous other funding streams that support the voluntary and community sector.

Regeneration

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will assess the implications of the new Neighbourhood Renewal funding arrangements for service providers who are not locality specific within any given Neighbourhood Partnership area.

David Hanson: Implementation of the Neighbourhood Renewal strategy represents a strategic and long-term approach to supporting service provision in response to the key needs of the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods. The local Neighbourhood Renewal action planning process which involves the statutory, community, voluntary, elected and private sectors, will direct future investment in a more strategic way towards a smaller number of key service providers, focused on delivering specific, improved and measurable outcomes. This will result in a reduction in the number of service providers regardless of their geographic location.
	Future investment in community and voluntary sector provision will increasingly be determined by the identified needs of neighbourhoods, the agreed priorities for the areas and the ability of providers to deliver the specific outcomes required. The ongoing work to develop action plans and agree implementation of these will shape all future service provision in Neighbourhood Renewal areas.
	Those service providers who are located outside the Neighbourhood Renewal areas may be supported to deliver services within Neighbourhood Renewal areas if they are found to be the best option and are the most effective provider.

Rivers Agency

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the religious composition is of staff  (a) employed and  (b) recruited over each of the last three years by the Rivers Agency in Northern Ireland.

David Hanson: Monitoring information is gathered to enable the NI civil service to monitor the effectiveness of its equal opportunities policies. Under data protection legislation, any further processing of monitoring information must not be incompatible with that purpose. With the exception of the Child Support and Social Security agencies, monitoring of equal opportunities policies is not carried out below the level of Departments, consequently the further processing of monitoring information at the level requested would not be consistent with the data protection principles.

Water Meters

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many homeowners in Northern Ireland he estimates will have requested water meters to be installed by the end of April.

David Cairns: The Chief Executive of Water Service (Mrs. Katharine Bryan) has written to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
	 Letter from Mrs. Katharine Bryan, dated 26 February 2007
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question about how many homeowners in Northern Ireland he estimates will have requested water meters to be installed by the end of April (122690). I have been asked to reply as this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Water Service.
	In order to manage the installation of water meters, Water Service is targeting certain consumer groups first. From 1 April 2007, metering will be available to pensioner households who apply. Meters will also be installed in all properties connected to the water mains on or after 1 April 2007. The policy will be subject to a review within two years with a view to extending the domestic metering option to further groups from 2009-10. For initial planning purposes, Water Service has estimated that around 24,000 pensioners may apply for a meter within the first year of the introduction of domestic charging. It is anticipated that the majority of these requests will be received by the end of April 2007.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Art Deco Buildings

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in respect of which art deco style buildings her Department has provided funding for restoration and preservation in the last 12 months.

David Lammy: Government funding for the built historic environment in England is channelled through English Heritage. English Heritage's central database does not categorise grants made in terms of building style, so we are unable to provide this information.

EU Cultural Heritage Society

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with European colleagues on the creation of an EU cultural heritage agency.

David Lammy: I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer of 1 February 2007,  Official Report, column 418, to the hon. Member for Chesterfield (Paul Holmes). I am not aware of any proposals to establish a European Cultural Heritage Agency.

Departments: Freedom of Information

Michael Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the cost to her Department of monitoring the time spent processing requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for the purposes of the proposed fees regulations.

David Lammy: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him by my right hon. and learned Friend the Minister of State for Constitutional Affairs on 23 February 2007,  Official Report, column 968W.

English Heritage

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on how many occasions her Department has overruled advice given to her by English Heritage in the last four years; and what the circumstances were of each occasion.

David Lammy: No central record is maintained, either by the Department or English Heritage, to show the number of occasions on which advice provided by English Heritage on listing applications is overruled. The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Gambling

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the income of  (a) betting shops,  (b) casinos and  (c) on-course gambling in each of the last five years.

Richard Caborn: The Government do not collect data on the overall income of casinos, on-course or off-course betting.
	The Gambling Commission monitors, and reports on an annual basis, the level of activity in casinos. For this purpose, the Commission uses 'drop' and 'house win' figures. 'Drop' is the amount of money exchanged for gaming chips, 'house win' is the total retained by the casino.
	The total drop figures for casinos in Great Britain for each of the last five years are set out in the following table. The house wins resulting from this drop for the same periods are also listed. It is important to note that this figure represents the gross receipts before operating and other costs are deducted. House win is consistently around 17-18 per cent. of 'drop'.
	
		
			  Total drop (money exchanged for gaming chips) 
			   £ million 
			 2001-02 3,582 
			 2002-03 3,797 
			 2003-04 4,073 
			 2004-05 4,158 
			 2005-06 4,231 
		
	
	
		
			  The House win (the total retained by casinos) 
			  £ million 
			 2001-02 619 
			 2002-03 669 
			 2003-04 674 
			 2004-05 715 
			 2005-06 704 
		
	
	HM Revenue and Customs also collects figures on off-course betting and gaming duty and stakes which can be found at:
	<http://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=factbetting>.
	I am also arranging for copies of these figures to be placed in the Library of the House.
	There are no figures for on-course betting.
	Neither the Gambling Commission figures nor HMRC figures represent the total income of betting shops and casinos as they do not include income from gaming machines (after 2005 in the case of betting shops) nor receipts from other sources likely to be found in casinos such as bars, restaurants and card rooms.

Gambling

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the number of problem gamblers in Leicester South.

Richard Caborn: The current estimate is that 0.6 per cent. of the adult population of Great Britain are problem gamblers. This figure is drawn from "Gambling Behaviour in Britain: Results from the British Gambling Prevalence Study" (National Centre for Social Research, June 2000). The study was conducted using a sample of addresses and, as such, it is not possible to provide results on a geographical basis.
	The Gambling Commission is conducting a further prevalence study and will report in September 2007.

Gambling

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many casinos are licensed to operate in the UK; and how many she expects there to be in each of the next five years.

Richard Caborn: At 16 February 2007, 139 casinos were licensed and operating in Great Britain under the Gaming Act 1968. A further five casinos have closed but still hold their licences.
	In addition, in terms of applications for new casinos, 28 were licensed but not yet open; 23 were awaiting a decision on an application for a certificate of consent from the Gambling Commission; 35 were awaiting a hearing from a local licensing authority and 13 were appealing, or considering whether to appeal, against rejection of a licence application by a local licensing authority.
	The Gambling Commission considers applications for certificates of consent for new casinos, or for significant alterations to, or relocations of, existing casinos. Once a certificate of consent is issued, operators can then apply to the local licensing authority for a casino licence. There is no guarantee that the grant of a certificate of consent will result in a casino licence being granted. If a local licensing authority turns down an application for a licence, an operator can appeal.
	From 28 April 2006, the Gambling Commission could no longer accept applications under the Gaming Act 1968 Act for certificates of consent in respect of new casinos.
	The Gambling Act makes provision for 17 new casinos: one regional, eight large and eight small.
	No consideration will be given to allowing further casinos until a proper evaluation over time has been made of the social and economic effects of the 17 casinos. Such an assessment will not be complete until at least three years after the award of the first casino premises licence.
	Neither my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, nor the Gambling Commission, make estimates of the number of casinos which may be operating in the future.

Institute for Public Policy Research

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding the British Library has provided to the IPPR or IPPR Trading Ltd. in each year since May 1997; and what the purpose was of such funding.

David Lammy: The only record of a payment to IPPR made by the British Library is one of £10,000 in 2005-06. This was a contribution to the cost of a study on intellectual property rights.

National Lottery

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which Ministers have made representations to her on lottery funding in their constituency since 1997; and what the  (a) date and  (b) project was in the case of each such representation.

Richard Caborn: Decisions on whether or not to support individual applications are entirely matters for the independent lottery distributing bodies. DCMS Ministers have no involvement in any such decisions by the distributors.

National Sports Foundation

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what funding the National Sports Foundation has allocated in the last 12 months.

Richard Caborn: In total £21,032,770 has been allocated by the National Sports Foundation and match funded in the last 12 months.

Obesity

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions her Department has had with the Department of Health on that Department's proposed obesity action plan.

Richard Caborn: The Government are committed to reducing obesity, as set out in the Public Health White Paper "Choosing Health" and in our public service agreement target
	"to halt the year-on-year increase in obesity among children under 11 by 2010, in the context of a broader strategy to tackle obesity in the population as a whole".
	Given the complexity of this public health challenge, my Department shares this target with the Department of Health as well as with the Department for Education and Skills. A central cross-Government team is in place to ensure that our three Departments work closely together to co-ordinate and drive action across our delivery chain.
	My Department's contribution to this programme of work is chiefly through making children and families more physically active through children's play, school sport and community sport; improving children's diet through our work with Ofcom on restricting promotion and advertising to children of foods high in fat, salt and sugar; and, our work with the hospitality sector to promote healthier food choices.

Olympic Games

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the 10 highest-salaried posts which have been advertised by London 2012.

Tessa Jowell: The Olympic Delivery Authority has filled the majority of its senior level posts, including all directors. The highest levels of remuneration are paid to the following posts:
	Chief Executive
	Director of Communications
	Director of Design and Regeneration
	Director of Finance and Corporate Services
	Director of Infrastructure and Utilities
	Director of Property
	Director of Transport
	Head of Legal
	Director of Construction
	Head of Security.
	The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is a privately funded commercial organisation. It has filled the majority of senior posts, some through the continuation of roles from the bid stage, and others through recruitment to new posts.
	LOCOG pays rates that are competitive in the market place and benchmarked against comparable roles. Details of directors' remuneration are disclosed each year in the company's statutory financial statements which are filed at Companies House.

Olympic Games

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the current wage bill is of London 2012.

Tessa Jowell: The total amount that has been paid to employees, Board and Committee Members on the Olympic Delivery Authority payroll is £5,043,330. This is inclusive of all wage related costs such as pension contributions, national insurance and tax and is the figure from 1 April 2006 to 31 January 2007.
	The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is a privately funded commercial organisation. LOCOG pays rates that are competitive in the market place and benchmarked against comparable roles. From 1 April 2006 to 31 December 2006 LOCOG has spent £7,000,931 on staff and contractor costs. Further details of remuneration are disclosed each year in the company's statutory financial statements which are filed at Companies House.

Olympic Games

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with the London Development Agency on the use of funds accrued through the disposal of land used for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games for cost overruns of the Olympic budget; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The 2003 memorandum of understanding between the Government and the Mayor states that the Government expect to discharge their responsibility for meeting any shortfalls in a sharing arrangement to be agreed as appropriate with the Mayor and through seeking additional lottery funding in amounts to be agreed at the time.
	I am consulting the Mayor as part of the wider review of costs currently under way within Government and have had a number of discussions with him. I will be considering further the recommendation contained in the recent report of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee about the use of LDA land receipts.

Smith Institute

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much money from the public purse  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies gave to (i) the Smith Institute and (ii) its subsidiary SI Events Limited in each year since 1997; and for what purpose each payment was made.

David Lammy: On the basis of available information the Department has made the following three payments to the Smith Institute during the period in question relating to a new technology seminar and a cultural research project:
	
		
			   Amount (£) 
			 25 August 1999 1,000.00 
			 30 July 1999 1,000.00 
			 7 March 2000 2,937.50 
		
	
	We have no record of any payment being made to SI Events Limited.

Sports: Betting

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received on the creation of a sports betting right; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: I have received representations from a number of Sports Governing Bodies and the Football Data Co. on the subject of the creation of a sports betting right. I have made it clear that I would welcome voluntary, commercial funding agreements between the betting and sports industries.

Sports: Expenditure

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what the cost of the Community Sports Coaches programme was in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) is expected to be in 2006-07;
	(2)  how many community sports coaches are in post.

Richard Caborn: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) have provided the following Exchequer funding to the Community Sports Coaches programme in 2005-06 and 2006-07:
	
		
			  £ 
			   DCMS funding  DfES funding 
			 2005-06 7,814,107 570,000 
			 2006-07 10,340,000 3,500,000 
		
	
	During 2006-07, Sport England are providing funding for around 600 Community Sports Coach posts through their Community Investment Fund. Precise figures on this funding will be finalised at the end of the current financial year.
	By the end of January 2007, funding awards had been made to support 3,332 Community Sports Coach posts and 2,940 of these posts were operational.

Sports: Facilities

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how her Department has benchmarked the provision of UK sports facilities against  (a) the rest of Europe and  (b) other countries; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: The provision of UK Sports facilities has not been benchmarked against  (a) the rest of Europe and  (b) other countries. Any data which compared facilities in different countries are open to misinterpretation without detailed knowledge of a country's policy, taxation, planning and other areas. However, since 2001 Government and the lottery have invested over £1 billion into more than 4,000 new or refurbished community sports facilities which is helping to deliver our manifesto commitment to ensure that almost everyone will be within 20 minutes travelling time of a good multi-sport facility. This will be measured through Active Places.

Sports: Schools

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of children met the two-hour target for physical education in school in each year since 2001 in each  (a) constituency,  (b) local authority area and  (c) School Sport Partnership area.

Richard Caborn: The PE, School Sport and Club Links strategy was established in 2003 and the first data collection survey was undertaken in that year. I am placing in the Libraries of both Houses tables which set out the percentage of pupils taking part in at least two hours of high quality PE and school sport in a typical week in:  (a) each local authority area for 2004-05 and 2005-06; and  (b) for each school sport partnership for 2003-04, 2004-05, and 2005-06. Data on local authorities in 2003-04 and on each constituency could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The results report only on pupils who attend schools within school sport partnerships.
	Direct comparisons between local authority areas and school sport partnerships are not appropriate as the number of schools in a partnership, and the length of time they have been within a partnership, differ.

Sports: White Papers

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what involvement her Department has had in the preparation of the European Commission's White Paper on Sport.

Richard Caborn: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has been involved in regular discussions, at both ministerial and official level, with the European Commission, member states, sporting organisations and other stakeholders on the development of the Commission's White Paper.

Middlesex Guildhall

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Minister has taken to mitigate the impact of the new Supreme Court upon the Grade II* status of Middlesex Guildhall.

Harriet Harman: I have been asked to reply.
	The Grade II* status of Middlesex Guildhall will remain unchanged following its renovation for use as the new Supreme Court. Our renovation plans have been developed by renowned conservation architects Feilden and Mawson. They will achieve the long-term conservation objective of securing the upkeep of an historic building by maintaining it in beneficial use, in a sustainable manner. Our plans will also improve access to the building, yet lower the intensity of use. The history of the site and the Guildhall will be displayed in a purpose-built exhibition and interpretation centre within the building.

Swimming Pools

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many public swimming pools there were in England in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07.

Richard Caborn: Annual figures for the number of public swimming pools in England are not kept centrally.
	However, Sport England advise that Active Places, a publicly available database of sports facilities across England, shows the number of pools (not sites) in local authority, education and commercial ownership as follows:
	As of January 2005:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Local authority 1,623 
			 Education 916 
			 Commercial 1,476 
		
	
	As of November 2006 (most recent analysis of data):
	
		
			   Number 
			 Local authority 1,680 
			 Education 1,062 
			 Commercial 1,623

Television: Licensing

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many personnel were involved in detecting those avoiding payment of television licence fees in Northern Ireland in  (a) 2002 and  (b) 2007.

Shaun Woodward: holding answer 23 February 2007
	The BBC has statutory responsibility for the administration of the television licensing system and TV Licensing carries out the day to day administration under contract to the corporation. I have referred the question to the BBC's Head of Revenue Management. Copies of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

PRIME MINISTER

Iraq: Al-Qaeda

Nick Harvey: To ask the Prime Minister what the evidential basis is for his statement to the House of 21 February 2007 that Al-Qaeda commenced its activities in Iraq in 2002.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Gentleman to my letter to the hon. Member for Bournemouth, East (Mr. Ellwood). A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Members Staff: Surveillance

Oliver Heald: To ask the Prime Minister whether the Wilson doctrine applies to staff of hon. Members.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the written ministerial statement I made to the House on 30 March 2006,  Official Report, column 95WS.

Philippines

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Prime Minister what plans there are for visits by him to the Philippines.

Tony Blair: For security reasons, my future engagements are announced as and when appropriate.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Administration of Justice

James Gray: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what facilities are provided for litigants attending hearings in person at the Royal Courts of Justice to consult law reports and legal texts.

Harriet Harman: There are no facilities for litigants in person attending hearings at the Royal Courts of Justice to consult law reports and legal texts.

Departments: Complaints

David Laws: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs 
	(1)  how many complaints were received by her Department and its executive agencies in  (a) 1997-98,  (b) 2001-02 and  (c) 2005-06 and  (d) 2006-07 to date;
	(2)  how many staff worked in dedicated complaints units in her Department and its executive agencies in  (a) 1997-98,  (b) 2001-02 and  (c) 2005-06 and  (d) 2006-07 to date.

Harriet Harman: Information about these complaints and the complaints units for these years is not held centrally. I will write to the hon. Gentleman as soon as possible.

Departments: Manpower

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what methods her Department uses to retain skilled staff in socially deprived areas of the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: We are currently conducting a pay and grading review that will address inconsistencies in our current pay structures which have arisen following machinery of government changes which have created more than 50 different sets of pay and grading arrangements in the Department.
	Our pay and grading review proposes the introduction of regional pay ranges.

Departments: Pay

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the likely impact on staff morale of the introduction of the new department pay system to be introduced on 1 April 2007.

Harriet Harman: The intention is to introduce the new arrangements from 1 August 2007.
	Various means of monitoring, including meetings with trade union representatives, a regular survey of staff and meetings between staff and members of the Department's management board will enable us to assess the impact of our proposals. We will take action in the light of this monitoring of staff.

Departments: Pay

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps her Department is taking to ensure that staff in all parts of Wales will continue to receive pay which is comparable with that of staff carrying out similar roles in other areas of the UK under the new pay system to be introduced from 1 April 2007.

Harriet Harman: The intention is to introduce the new arrangements from 1 August 2007.
	The DCA will be introducing regional pay as part of its new pay structure. The Department understands that the introduction of regional pay to reflect the reality of local market conditions will be an expectation in HM Treasury's public pay guidelines. The objective of the new pay structures is to enable the Department to recruit and retain staff by ensuring that staff in all areas receive pay which is comparable with the local pay market. Staff in Wales will continue to receive pay which is comparable with that of staff carrying out similar roles in other areas of the UK.

Departments: Pay

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what discussions she has had with  (a) PCS and  (b) other trade union organisations on the long-term effects on staff pay of the new departmental pay system to be introduced from 1 April 2007.

Harriet Harman: The intention is that the new arrangements for pay and grading will apply from 1 August 2007.
	I met with the Justices Unions Parliamentary Group in February 2007. DCA have been in discussion with  (a) PCS and  (b) Prospect and FDA for several months exploring the broad principles of our pay and grading proposals. Discussions on our detailed proposals commenced in January.

Departments: Pay

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs 
	(1)  what  (a) training,  (b) guidance and  (c) other information her Department plans to give to executive officer grade staff who have not previously been subject to performance related pay on the changes to the way in which they will be paid under the new pay system to be introduced from 1 April 2007;
	(2)  what steps her Department has taken to ensure that  (a) staff and  (b) management have a comprehensive understanding of the workings and effects of the new departmental pay system to be introduced on 1 April.

Harriet Harman: The intention is to introduce the new arrangements for pay and grading into the Department for Constitutional Affairs from 1 August 2007.
	Support in the form of guidance notes, information booklets and management briefings is being made available to provide training, guidance and other information to executive officer grade staff (and all other staff) about these changes.
	Staff are being kept informed of developments through regular communications and managers are being trained and equipped to deal with the new policies and procedures. These activities are ongoing and will continue until and beyond the introduction of the new arrangements in August.

Departments: Theft

David Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what items valued at above £100 were reported as stolen from her Department's buildings or premises in the last 12 months.

Harriet Harman: The Department had a break-in at a county court and £268.82 cash was stolen in DCA funds. A DVD player was stolen from a magistrates court valued at £110.00. Total value £378.82

Legal Aid

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of cases delayed by a legal aid application in each of the last five years.

Harriet Harman: Information on the number of cases delayed by a legal aid application is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

DEFENCE

Training

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the impact of current levels of deployment on training in the armed forces.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence constantly assesses the impact of operations and adjusts training programmes accordingly. Current levels of operational deployment in the armed forces have resulted in a shift of focus, particularly in the land and air environments, towards training for specific operations rather than for general contingencies.

Sierra Leone

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to assist peace support training in Sierra Leone.

Adam Ingram: The United Kingdom has invested considerable effort in helping to build a Sierra Leone security sector capable of assuming responsibility for the country's security. We have provided most of the 100 strong international military advisory and training team which has been a great success to date. On peace-support operations, Sierra Leone has just started to prepare its personnel and this month passed a milestone with the deployment of three military observers to the UN missions in Nepal and East Timor. We continue to provide day to day advice and assistance to this process.

Nuclear Weapons

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to reduce the upper limit on the number of operationally available nuclear warheads to fewer than 160.

Des Browne: I intend that the planned reduction in the maximum number of operationally available nuclear warheads from fewer than 200 to fewer than 160, announced in December last year, will take place this year.

Nuclear Weapons

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received on the public consultation on the White Paper "The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent".

Des Browne: Since the publication of the White Paper last December, the Ministry of Defence has received some 700 written representations on the issue of the future of the UK's nuclear deterrent. I and my ministerial colleagues have also been involved in a variety of discussions and debates on this issue, including giving extensive evidence to the Defence Committee and responding to questions from a number of hon. Members.

MOD Police

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the strength of the Ministry of Defence Police is; and what it was in May 1997.

Derek Twigg: The current strength of the Ministry of Defence Police is 3,501. Although strength figures are not available for May 1997 there were 3,827 Ministry of Defence Police officers in March 1997.
	The reduction in numbers between 1997 and 2007 can mainly be attributed to an Army programme to replace Ministry of Defence Police officers with Military Provost Guard Service personnel; and closures and relocation of Ministry of Defence establishments.

Iran

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the extent of Iranian involvement in the internal affairs of neighbouring states where British armed forces are deployed; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the extent of Iranian involvement in the internal affairs of neighbouring states where British armed forces are deployed; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: Iran's behaviour in support of terrorist groups in the region continues to be a cause for concern.
	Support from within Iran, including by the Quds Force, goes to groups who are attacking our forces and fuels the sectarian violence in Iraq. In our assessment some of the improvised explosive devices that are being used against our forces use technology that originates from Iran.
	The Government of Iraq have made it clear that they will not tolerate Iranian activity that undermines the prospects for a secure, stable and democratic Iraq.

Joint Strike Fighter

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on the joint strike fighter programme.

Adam Ingram: The joint strike fighter programme remains on schedule with the first development aircraft completing its seventh flight including full afterburner test in flight. The UK has now received the necessary assurances on technology transfer from the US; this will allow the UK to meet its operational sovereignty requirements. The next phase of the programme has now come into effect, with the UK, US and other international partners having signed up to the production, sustainment and follow-on development memorandum of understanding with the US.

Missile Defence

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the case for a missile defence system for the UK.

Des Browne: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Mr. Goodwill).

Iran

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the involvement of Iran in insurgency in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Des Browne: Iran is an influential neighbour in the region and its behaviour continues to be a cause for concern. We continually assess the nature of insurgency in Iraq and Afghanistan. Any Iranian links to illegal armed groups either through supply of weapons, training or funding, are completely unacceptable. We have made this clear to the Iranians (with respect to Iraq) on many occasions.

Service Personnel: Dentistry

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the ability of service personnel and their families to gain access to NHS dental treatment.

Derek Twigg: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson).

Afghanistan: Equipment

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) mine protected vehicles and  (b) Chinook helicopters are allocated for use by British forces in Afghanistan; how many of those vehicles are in working order; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The UK Task Force was provided with Tempest mine protected vehicles to provide protected mobility support to their explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) capability in Afghanistan. Despite a strong track record in other operational theatres, they have not proved as effective in Afghanistan and are therefore due to be replaced with a new capability within the next three months. In the interim, the mine route-proving capability of the UK Task Force has not been affected by the lack of Tempest, as other vehicles within the EOD Task Force have been able to complete required tasks.
	In addition, while not designated a 'mine protected vehicle' the newly procured Mastiff, a wheeled patrol vehicle with a less intimidating profile than our tracked vehicles, offers good protection against a range of threats including mines. We are rapidly procuring around 100 of these vehicles for use in both Iraq and Afghanistan. An effective Mastiff capability is now operational in Iraq, and reports indicate that UK forces there are pleased with them. They will start to be delivered to Afghanistan this spring. I am withholding the precise number of each type of vehicle available, as the information would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of our armed forces.
	Following my written statement of 24 July 2006, we have sent two additional CH-47 Chinooks to Afghanistan, making a total of eight, and have increased the number of flying hours. Commanders on the ground have made clear that they have sufficient helicopter assets to conduct current operations. We will continue to keep our helicopter requirements under review to ensure that we have sufficient support to meet current and anticipated tasks. The exact number of helicopters available on any given day will fluctuate subject to routine repair and maintenance work. I am withholding the precise number that are currently in working order as the information would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of our armed forces.

Armed Forces: Compensation

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel injured have received compensation under  (a) the war pensions scheme and  (b) armed forces compensation scheme since 2001 due to loss of (i) both legs and both arms, (ii) both legs at or above the knee, (iii) both legs below the knee, (iv) one leg at or above the knee, (v) one leg below the knee, (vi) both arms at or above the elbow, (vii) both arms below the elbow, (viii) one arm at or above the elbow, (ix) one arm below the elbow, and following (x) sustaining deep second degree or third degree burns to more than 70 per cent. of the body, (xi) being blinded in both eyes and (xii) having been made deaf.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 19 February 2007
	The number of personnel who have been injured and received compensation from the war pensions scheme is not available in the form requested.
	The number of personnel who have been injured and received compensation from the armed forces compensation scheme between 6 April 2005 and 23 November 2006 is five for the following three categories combined: (iv) lost one leg at or above the knee, (v) lost one leg below the knee and (viii) lost one arm at or above the elbow.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's definition is of military overstretch in peacetime.

Adam Ingram: The armed forces would be overstretched if they were unable to fulfil the tasks asked of them.

Armed Forces: Footwear

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will review the operational capability of the desert boots issued to UK armed forces personnel.

Adam Ingram: Work is currently under way to review the operational capability of the desert boot and is scheduled to be completed by the autumn.

Armed Forces: Housing

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place a copy of his Department's Service Housing Strategy in the Library.

Derek Twigg: I will write to the hon. Gentleman and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces: Postal Services

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will extend postal welfare benefits to those Commonwealth servicemen and women serving in the armed forces to allow them to use the free bluey post to communicate with their families when their families do not live in the United Kingdom.

Adam Ingram: Funding to extend the free forces air letter benefits to eligible foreign and Commonwealth personnel serving in Her Majesty's armed forces on operations was agreed on 31 January. Preparatory activity to commence the service is ongoing with a planned implementation date of 2 April.

Armed Forces: Telephones

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will extend the telephone credits welfare benefits of armed forces personnel serving in theatre from 30 minutes per week to one hour per week.

Adam Ingram: The welfare telephone allowance was increased from 20 minutes per week to 30 minutes per week, a 50 per cent. increase, in October. Along with an improvement in internet connection speeds this improvement cost some £2.8 million. There are no plans to further increase the telephone allowance at this time although the operational welfare package remains under continuous review.

Boarding School Allowance

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 29 January 2007,  Official Report, columns 22-3W, on boarding school allowance, how many officers in the armed services are claiming continuity of education allowance while living in their family home in their home town; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: As explained in my answer of 29 January 2007,  Official Report, columns 22-3W, unless a service person is granted 'involuntarily separated' status for the reasons previously explained, they are expected to serve accompanied and reside with their family at their duty station, or within daily travelling distance of their duty station. This family home may be a service families quarter, substitute families accommodation (where no quarters are available), privately rented or privately owned. No details are held of how many service personnel privately rent or own their own homes, or where service personnel, all of whom have a commitment to be mobile, regard as their family home.

Ex-servicemen: Pensions

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the Minister with responsibility for veterans to report on the case of maladministration of the late William Norbury's war pension.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 19 February 2007
	I wrote to the hon. Gentleman on 7 February 2006 to update him on the latest position in respect of the William Norbury case. I expect to receive a draft report during March.

Iraq and Afghanistan

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to visit military personnel in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: I regularly visit military personnel in both theatres and will continue to do so in the future. For security reasons, I do not announce the dates of visits in advance.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his  (a) Lithuanian,  (b) Polish,  (c) Czech,  (d) Australian and  (e) Romanian counterparts about changing the operational caveats of multi-national forces in Southern Iraq.

Des Browne: I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues from NATO countries and key allies such as Australia on a range of issues, including deployments in Iraq.

Mental Health

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his plans are for support for mental health issues to  (a) war veterans and  (b) war veterans' families over the next 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The Department provides support to serving personnel with mental health problems but at service termination the primary responsibility passes to the relevant civilian agency.
	Considerable mental health support is already available to veterans. If a veteran is a war pensioner he or she will be entitled to priority NHS treatment for the accepted condition(s); priority is decided by the clinician in charge and is subject to clinical need. The Government also fund care provided by Combat Stress, to the value last year of some £2.8 million, for those with an appropriate condition accepted as being caused or made worse by service.
	The Veterans' Programme, launched in 2001, aims for excellent delivery of public services for veterans, including families, through cross-governmental partnership, involving MOD, other Government Departments and ex-service organisations. Examples of this include improvements to the arrangements for transfer of veterans from military to civilian or charitable care and welfare arrangements; also measures to raise awareness of military and veterans issues among the civilians health community, for example through contact with the Chief Medical Officers and the Royal College of General Practitioners. Similarly, last year we introduced the Reserves Mental Health Programme offering enhanced medical services to those reservists with operational service since 2003 whose general practitioners consider that their deployment may have affected their mental health.
	Some veterans appear reluctant to access available help for reasons relating to their military culture. Advised by national clinical experts, we are working with the health departments and the ex-service organisations, including Combat Stress, to develop a new, culturally aware community-based mental health service for veterans. It is hoped that the proposed model will be trialled at sites around the United Kingdom from spring 2007. The approach will be holistic, providing evidence-based treatment and other support, as required, to veterans, their families and carers.

Meteorological Office

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what funding his Department has provided to the Meteorological Office for the Public Weather Service in each of the last five years; and what assessment he has made of the value for money provided by the service.

Derek Twigg: From April 2007, a range of weather information, weather-related warnings and supporting programmes from the Met Office, will be brought together in a new public weather service. Funding for broadly comparable activities from the MOD, and other sources, in each of the last five years has been as follows:
	
		
			   Total PWS funding (£000) 
			 2001-02 76,684 
			 2002-03 77,992 
			 2003-04 79,017 
			 2004-05 80,623 
			 2005-06 83,809 
			 2006-07 (forecast) 84,835 
		
	
	The services provided by the Met Office over this period have delivered very good value for money to the UK taxpayer, in terms of the benefit provided by increasingly accurate weather forecasts and warnings which are free at point of use, as exemplified by the recent snow-events that were well forecast many days ahead. These have enabled members of the public, and the public bodies charged with their safety, to make informed choices about day-to-day activities and to enhance the protection of life, property and essential infrastructure.

Military Alliances

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what level of military co-operation there is between the UK and  (a) Australia,  (b) New Zealand and  (c) Finland.

Des Browne: We have historically enjoyed close defence links with both Australia and New Zealand, dating back to before world war one. Similarities in the way the Australians and ourselves organise, train and employ our forces facilitate close co-operation. Australian forces currently operate alongside UK forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. UK and New Zealand troops currently co-operate in Afghanistan and have also worked together in UN missions, including Bosnia, East Timor and the Gulf. In addition, we hold a number of joint exercises with Australia and New Zealand, mainly under the auspices of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) and there are a number of military personnel exchange programmes with both countries. Australian and New Zealand defence personnel also routinely participate in UK training and staff courses and vice versa.
	UK/Finnish defence relations are good and growing ever closer, with expanding military co-operation. Finnish armed forces participate in a number of NATO and EU operations in which UK forces are also involved, including in Afghanistan, Kosovo and Bosnia. Finland has undertaken to participate in EU Battlegroups, including the Swedish-led Nordic Battlegroup, for which the UK will provide the operational headquarters at Northwood.

Military Alliances

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which countries are involved in military operations alongside UK military forces.

Adam Ingram: In Iraq, a total of 26 nations are contributing forces, including the UK. Of these, five nations operate in the UK's area of responsibility, Multi-National Division (South East): Australia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Lithuania and Romania.
	In Afghanistan, a total of 37 nations are contributing forces to the International Security Assistance Force, including the UK. Of these, the following operate in Regional Command (South), where UK forces are concentrated: Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Romania and the US.
	We work alongside 44 other nations involved in the NATO operation in Kosovo. And in Bosnia Herzegovina, 33 other nations are involved, including, in the UK-led Task Force (North West): Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, Slovakia and Switzerland.
	The UK also contributes key staff officers to UN missions alongside numerous other troop contributing countries, including in Cyprus, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Georgia, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Sudan.

Project Borona

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce the findings and recommendations of Project Borona.

Des Browne: A study team, known as the BORONA Programme Team, is currently assessing a number of options for the potential return of units from Germany to UK. A decision on the way ahead is not expected until later this year.

Trooping the Colour: Flags

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which national flags are flown at the Trooping of the Colour; and what criteria govern their selection.

David Lammy: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 12 June 2006,  Official Report, column 944W, which details the national flags flown. The selection of flags is traditional and governed by the constitutional heritage of the countries represented.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Aviation: Research

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made on the  (a) Integrated Wing,  (b) Environmentally Friendly Engine and  (c) ASTRAEA research projects; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: Integrated Wing and ASTRAEA have been formally launched and are proceeding. The consortium is taking forward the Environmentally Friendly Engine programme which we hope will be launched in the near future.

Beer Glasses: Approval Marks

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether EU rules allow the Crown stamp to be used alongside the CE stamp on pint glasses.

Jim Fitzpatrick: No. Under the Measuring Instruments Directive (2004/22/EC) which entered into force on 30 October 2006 the CE mark has replaced the Crown stamp to guarantee the accuracy of pint measures including pint glasses. The directive does not permit the use of any other marking on the measure.

Beer Glasses: Approval Marks

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans the Government have to remove the Crown stamp from pint glasses.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Weights and Measures (Capacity Serving Measures) Regulations 2006 (Statutory Instrument 2006 No. 1264) which implement the Measuring Instruments Directive (SI 2006 No 1264) came into force on 30 October 2006 and pint glasses which have been placed on the market since that date have been CE marked in accordance with these regulations. Pint glasses which were marked with the Crown stamp and placed on the market before that date remain lawful. There is therefore no requirement to remove existing Crown stamped glasses from use.

Digital Broadcasting

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from organisations in the Programming Making and Special Events sector of the Digital Dividend Review and its impact on members of the British Entertainment Industry Radio Group; what consideration he has given to those representations; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: I have received representations from the Trade Union, Equity. The Office of Communications (Ofcom), the independent regulator of communications, is responsible for managing civil radio spectrum in the UK, including the allocation and licensing of frequency bands used by the Programme Making and Special Events (PMSE) sector. Any representation on Ofcom's spectrum consultations is a matter for the regulator; any received by my Department will be passed on to the chief executive officer.
	As part of its Digital Dividend Review, Ofcom published a consultation paper on the Ofcom website, www.ofcom.org.uk, in December 2006. The consultation period is open until 20 March, during which time all interested parties, including those with a specific interest in PMSE requirements, are encouraged to make their views known.

Electronic Equipment: Waste Disposal

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps have been taken to ensure that consumers are aware of how to dispose of waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE) under the provisions of the WEEE regulations.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The WEEE regulations place a number of obligations on producers and retailers of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) to provide information to consumers as to how best they can dispose of their WEEE in the future to help protect the environment.
	The UK Government will be working with all stakeholders to achieve high levels of separate collection of WEEE in the future.

Electronic Equipment: Waste Disposal

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the ways in which the consumer will be able to dispose of waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE) under the WEEE regulations coming into force this year; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Under the WEEE regulations consumers will be encouraged from 1 July 2007 to discard WEEE separately from other household waste for environmental and resource efficiency benefits.
	Retailers must either accept an equivalent item of WEEE free of charge from a customer for each item of EEE they sell to them, or support other WEEE collection facilities, such as local authority civic amenity sites, where consumers can discard WEEE free of charge.
	Retailers' collection on delivery services, and local authority bulky waste collection services are unaffected by the WEEE regulations. Consumers may also continue donating useable electrical and electronic products to charitable organisations.

Electronic Equipment: Waste Disposal

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the proportion of waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE) collected under the WEEE directive which will be disposed of by  (a) in-store take-back,  (b) collection on delivery of new equipment,  (c) at a local civil amenity site adapted to separate the WEEE waste stream and  (d) other methods.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The WEEE directive requires member states to establish an adequate network of collection facilities to enable consumers to discard their WEEE from other forms of waste free of charge (so called free take-back). Under the UK WEEE regulations consumers will have a number of routes available to them to dispose of their WEEE in the UK in the future, and they will use the route most suitable to them.

Electronic Equipment: Waste Disposal

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what his latest estimate is of the number of local authorities in England who are prepared to adapt their local civil amenity sites to dispose of waste electronic and electrical equipment in accordance with the requirements of the waste electronic and electrical regulations by 1 July 2007.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Distributor Take-back Scheme which has been appointed by the DTI to deliver an adequate network of Designated Collection Facility sites across the UK is currently negotiating with local authorities in relation to designating their civic amenity sites as DCFs under the UK WEEE system. The UK Government are working with the DTS operator and local authorities to achieve maximum participation among local authorities within the WEEE system from 1 July 2007.

Electronic Equipment: Waste Disposal

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many  (a) televisions and  (b) computer screens are estimated to be thrown away every year in the UK; and how many of these are collected at local civil amenity sites.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The latest estimate from the Industry Council for Electronic Equipment Recycling (ICER, 2005) is that some 4.1 million units of household equipment containing cathode ray tubes are disposed of in the UK every year. A large proportion of these are believed to arise at civic amenity sites.

Energy White Paper

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to his answers of 6 February 2007,  Official Report, column 764W, on low carbon heating and column 890W, on electric heating, with which stakeholders his Department has had discussions since the publication of the Energy Review Report to inform the Energy White Paper.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 19 February 2007
	Government are taking forward the development of the policy proposals set out in the Energy Review Report. Formal and informal discussions with stakeholders have been a key part of the consultation processes launched since that report. The issues on which we are consulting, summaries of stakeholder engagement activities and formal stakeholder responses can be found on the DTI website at:
	http://www.dti.gi.gov.uk/energy/review/page31995.html

Fuel Poverty

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with Ofgem on the use of mandatory social tariffs on the energy industry to meet Government fuel poverty eradication targets.

Jim Fitzpatrick: DTI officials have had a range of discussions with Ofgem on a wide variety of fuel poverty issues in the context of the Energy White Paper. These include any further contribution the energy industry could make towards meeting fuel poverty targets. However, no final decisions on policies have been reached.

Gas: Planning Permission

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether there is a maximum time allowed for a ministerial decision to be made on planning permission for a gas infrastructure project following a public inquiry.

Margaret Hodge: For all proposed gas infrastructure projects that are determined solely by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, the provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 of schedule 2 to the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 require the Secretary of State to set and meet a timetable for that case and to make a report to Parliament each year on performance. There is no set timescale for those gas storage proposals considered by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry under the Gas Act 1965.

Gas: Planning Permission

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received regarding the timely delivery of  (a) planning decisions and  (b) other stages of gas infrastructure projects following initial planning applications.

Margaret Hodge: The Department has received a number of representations relating to concerns regarding timely decision making on planning applications for gas infrastructure projects, although most such decisions fall beyond the scope of DTI legislation.
	As noted in answer to PQ No. 121545, answered today, the Government have committed to streamlining and simplifying the regulatory regime for gas supply infrastructure, and proposals for doing so will be contained in the Planning White Paper this spring.

Gas: Planning Permission

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to reduce the length of time taken to commission construction of gas infrastructure projects following initial planning application.

Margaret Hodge: My right hon. Friend's Statement of Need for Additional Gas Supply Infrastructure made to the House on 16 May 2006,  Official Report, columns 50-52, set out clearly the Government's wish for a regulatory environment that enables the development of timely and appropriately sited gas infrastructure projects.
	The Government have committed to streamlining and simplifying the regulatory regime for gas supply infrastructure. The Planning White Paper, to be published this spring, will contain proposals on onshore planning matters relating to gas.

Iron and Steel: EC Law

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry by what parliamentary mechanism European Union codes for steel specifications will be introduced in the UK.

Angela Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	The European standards for steel will be referenced in our Approved Document A (Structure) which will be deposited in the Library of the House when this document is next revised

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many applications for householders grants under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme were made  (a) online and  (b) by post in January; and how many in each category were (i) successful and (ii) unsuccessful.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 1 household stream, we approved 264 grant applications for £501,627.77 in January 2007.
	This comprises 199 online applications for £404,774.84 and 65 postal applications for £96,852.93. In addition to this, there were 112 unsuccessful postal applications. There were no unsuccessful online applicants as it is not possible for a householder to submit a grant application once the monthly cap is reached in any given month.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reasons he imposed monthly capping of Household Renewable Programme grants under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme, there has been higher than anticipated demand for household installations since the scheme was launched in April 2006. As a result, we increased the budget to £12.7 million and introduced a monthly cap in December 2006, which along with other measures, will help ensure that we are funding household installations until June 2008, by which time some of our wider measures to promote microgeneration should be taking hold.

Natural Gas: Prices

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of the retail gas price is made up of the purchase price of gas.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Both industrial and domestic retail gas prices are made up of the wholesale cost of gas, as well as metering and transportation and distribution costs, VAT, supplier costs and margins and the costs of the energy efficiency commitment. Hence, the proportion of retail prices that these costs account for changes from year to year as retail prices, the wholesale cost of gas and the other costs listed above change. The Department of Trade and Industry does not estimate the contribution that each of these costs make to the final retail price.
	However, Ofgem estimated in 2004(1) that the gas purchase costs accounted for 51 per cent. of domestic direct gas bills. Similarly, in 2005(2) Ofgem estimated that gas costs accounted for 51 per cent. of the average annual domestic standard credit gas bill.
	Gas costs are a larger proportion of retail industrial gas prices, as the non-gas costs of supplying industrial consumers are typically lower than in the domestic sector.
	(1) Ofgem (2004). Domestic Competitive Market Review.
	(2 )Ofgem (2005). Household energy bills explained. Ofgem Factsheet 52.

Nuclear Power Stations: Industrial Health and Safety

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many safety incidents at Torness power station were investigated by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate in 2005; and if he will list them.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 21 February 2007
	During 2005, the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate investigated 33 incidents reported by Torness power station to HSE/NII. It classified all of these at levels 0 and one of the international nuclear event scale. This scale has eight levels, of which 0 or one have the lowest safety significance. The incidents are as follows.
	 List of incidents investigated at Torness power station during 2005
	1. Incident Report No. 329/2004—Reactor 1 trip following loss of auto control.
	2. Incident Report No. 05/2005—Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactor generic fuel non-conformances.
	3. Incident Report No. 19/2005—Closure of boundary door.
	4. Incident Report No. 20/2005—Safety circuit Temperature Monitoring Unit setting.
	5. Incident Report No. 47/2005—Closure of boundary door.
	6. Incident Report No. 50/2005—Reactor 1 manual trip due to In Service Inspection plug leak
	7. Incident Report No. 60/2005—Fuel flask trolley interlock schedule error.
	8. Incident Report No. 69/2005—Damaged boundary door.
	9. Incident Report No. 70/2005—Test of fuelling machine window.
	10. Incident Report No. 82/2005—Clean CO2 release.
	11. Incident Report No. 89/2005—Variable Frequency Control drive 1AX1 failure to start.
	12. Incident Report No. 94/2005—Closure of boundary doors.
	13. Incident Report No. 99/2005—Reinstatement of emergency equipment.
	14. Incident Report No. 123/2005—CO2 vaporiser isolations.
	15. Incident Report No. 124/2005—Failure to complete routine test.
	16. Incident Report No. 126/2005—Fuel route Maintenance and Inspection Test Schedule.
	17. Incident Report No. 128/2005—Nuclear boundary door.
	18. Incident Report No. 131/2005—Reactor 2 110v battery charger.
	19. Incident Report No. 144/2005—Turbine Hall/Reactor fire seals.
	20. Incident Report No. 151/2005—Variable Frequency Control transformer fire.
	21. Incident Report No. 160/2005—Multi-meter calibration.
	22. Incident Report No. 168/2005—CO2 ring main isolation.
	23. Incident Report No. 174/2005—Decay Store surveillances.
	24. Incident Report No. 209/2005—Reactor 2 automatic trip whilst changing a Control Rod Assembly.
	25. Incident Report No. 223/2005—Reactor 1 air ingress protection system.
	26. Incident Report No. 231/2005—Diesel House fire doors.
	27. Incident Report No. 251/2005—Closure of nuclear boundary door.
	28. Incident Report No. 258/2005—Reactor 2 trip whilst switching 415v UPS supplies.
	29. Incident Report No. 279/2005—Closure of nuclear boundary door.
	30. Incident Report No. 284/2005—Seized seawater segregation valve.
	31. Incident Report No. 287/2005—Loose wire found in Decay Store Timer cubicle.
	32. Incident Report No. 289/2005—Supply of 'O' rings.
	33. Incident Report No. 295/2005—Generic Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactor transport flask valve maintenance.

Severn Barrage

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what his most recent estimate is of the cost of building the Severn Barrage;
	(2)  when a full evaluation of the Lynmouth sea flow project is expected.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The final report on the project known as Seaflow and entitled 'Development, Installation and Testing of a Large-Scale Tidal Current Turbine' (ref: T/06/00210/00/REP—URN 05/1698) can be viewed at:
	www.dti.gov.uk/files/filel8130.pdf
	A project summary document can also be viewed as an online PDF document at:
	www.dti.gov.uk/files/file29969.pdf

Severn Barrage

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the contribution the Severn Barrage could make to the UK's electricity needs:
	(2)  what evaluations of the Severn Barrage he is  (a) commissioning and  (b) supporting.

Jim Fitzpatrick: A major study of tidal power in the UK is currently under way. The DTI together with the Welsh Assembly Government, are working with the Sustainable Development Commission, the South West Regional Development Agency and other key interested parties to explore the issues arising on the tidal resource in the UK. The study will include consideration of the potential of the Severn Estuary, including the cost of a barrage and the contribution it could make towards UK electricity demand. The £400,000 study is expected to report in early summer 2007. Further information can be found at:
	www.sd-commission.org.uk/pages/tidal.html
	The most recent study of a Severn barrage scheme carried out by the Severn Tidal Power Group(1) available at www.dti.gov.uk/energy/page15374.html estimated that a Severn barrage could contribute up to 17 TWh per annum or ~5 per cent. of UK demand, the cost of building the scheme was estimated to be in the range £10.3 billion to £14 billion.
	(1) The Severn Tidal Power Group is a joint venture of four large power engineering and construction companies: Alstom, Balfour Beatty, Sir Robert McAlpine and Taylor Woodrow.

Utilities: Fees and Charges

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has  (a) to abolish utility standing charges and  (b) to improve utility pricing for those on low incomes; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The decision to levy standing charges is a matter for individual companies. In the energy sector, the majority of gas and electricity customers no longer have to pay standing charges, while in the telecoms and water sectors standing charges are still normally applied.
	The Government continue to encourage telecoms and energy companies to consider their most vulnerable consumers when considering price or service changes, and welcome the initiatives companies have introduced in this area. We encourage everyone to use the competitive market to get the best deal.
	For water, moving suppliers is not possible. However Government have already introduced the vulnerable groups tariff and are currently looking at the impact of a range of tariffs on low income households as part of the follow up to the cross-Government review of water affordability, and will report on this later in the year.
	Britain's gas and electricity industries are regulated by Ofgem, who have specific duties to ensure that low income customers are not disadvantaged. The regulator in the telecoms sector (Ofcom) and the regulator in the water sector (Ofwat) have similar duties.

Utilities: Meters

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to ensure that utility companies recalibrate pre-pay meters to account for price increases in a timely fashion.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 22 February 2007
	The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem), is responsible for the regulation of gas and electricity supply. I understand that Ofgem has been in detailed discussion with suppliers about the issue of recalibration of certain prepayment meters.

Wind Power

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations he has received on the connection of windfarms to the national grid.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department regularly receives by e-mail, post, telephone or in person, representations on wind farm connections to the grid system. They typically relate to planning applications being progressed by DTI, representations regarding the development of the offshore transmission system for offshore renewables, or general information on individual project grid connection offers. The Department also meets with national grid and Ofgem regularly to discuss and seek solutions to the issues surrounding efficient connection of renewables to the grid.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefit Claimants

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the claimant off-flow rates from  (a) incapacity benefit and  (b) severe disability allowance were in each month since January 2005, broken down by reason for leaving the benefit.

Anne McGuire: The available information has been placed in the Library.

Child Maintenance Payments

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of children that child maintenance payments have lifted out of deep poverty as defined by households with income less than 40 per cent. of median national income.

James Plaskitt: The requested information is not available due to small sample sizes. The 40 per cent. of median income level is not a recommended indicator of poverty. The 60 per cent. median income level, before housing costs, is the internationally recognised threshold of low income. Using this measure, it is estimated that child maintenance currently lifts 100,000 children out of poverty.

Children: Poverty

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how often the Joint Committee on Child Poverty involving the Government and the devolved administrations has met over the last two years; on what dates it has met; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 20 February 2007
	I have been asked to reply.
	The Joint Ministerial Committee on Child Poverty, chaired by the Chancellor, has met three times: on 9 December 1999, 26 May 2000, and 18 September 2002.
	There is effective liaison through other forums. These include the British-Irish Council, the National Action Plan on Social Inclusion, and the Joint Ministerial Committee Poverty Working Level Steering Group. Since 2002, officials from the devolved Administrations and Whitehall Departments have met regularly.

Child Support Agency

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many penalties the Child Support Agency has issued in Scotland for  (a) failure to provide information and  (b) providing false information in each of the last eight years.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is the matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the right hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question abut the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many penalties the Child Support Agency has issued in Scotland for (a) failure to provide information and (b) providing false information in each of the last eight years.
	The new criminal sanctions under Scottish law were only introduced from 31 January 2001:
	Pursuant to a request for information, making a statement or representation knowing it to be false (section 14A(2)(a)); and
	Providing or knowingly causing or knowingly allowing to be provided a document or other information which is known to be false in a material particular (section 14A(2)(b)).
	Failing to comply with a request for information without reasonable excuse (section 14A(3) of the Child Support Act 1991).
	The information requested is set out in the attached tables.
	I hope this will be helpful.
	
		
			  Scottish prosecutions only 
			  1 April to 31 March each year  Section 14A(2) Offence: Misrepresentation of Information  Section 14A(3) Offence: Failure to Provide Information 
			 2002-03 0 0 
			 2003-04 0 1 
			 2004-05 1 1 
			 2005-06 0 5 
			 2006 to date 0 0 
			 Total 1 7

Departmental Websites

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people completed the online quiz 'myths and facts about Pensions in the UK' on the Pensions Reform website in the last six months.

James Purnell: The online quiz, 'Myths and Facts about Pensions in the UK', was designed to present information to users, rather than gather statistics on user views.
	Therefore the system did not record the number of people who completed the quiz, how far each user progressed or details of responses.
	However we can provide figures for the number of people who accessed the quiz.
	Figures in the following table show the visits and unique visitors in the last six months:
	
		
			  Period  Visits( 1)  Unique visitors( 2) 
			 August 2006 356 219 
			 September 2006 463 373 
			 October 2006 470 364 
			 November 2006 427 323 
			 December 2006 310 206 
			 January 2007 375 275 
			 (1) Visits: Number of times a visitor or visitors came to the site. Each visit is recorded separately for every visit more than 30 minutes apart. (2) Unique visitors: Individuals who visited your site during the report period. If someone visits more than once, they are counted only the first time they visit.

Departmental Websites

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many user visits were recorded on the Pensions Reform blog in each of the last six months.

James Purnell: The Pensions Reform blog received the following visits and unique visitors in each of the last six months.
	
		
			  Period  Visits( 1)  Unique visitors( 2) 
			 August 2006 2,024 1,364 
			 September 2006 1,742 1,382 
			 October 2006 3,927 2,478 
			 November 2006 2,990 2,419 
			 December 2006 4,937 4,014 
			 January 2007 3,704 3,163 
			 (1) Visits: Number of times a visitor or visitors came to the site. Each visit is recorded separately for every visit more than 30 minutes apart. (2) Unique visitors: Individuals who visited the site during the report period. If someone visits more than once, they are counted only the first time they visit.

Departments: Art Works

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the 10 most valuable works of art owned and held by his Department are; what the estimated value is of each; and whom the owner is of each not owned by his Department.

Anne McGuire: Any of the art works in Department for Work and Pensions are on loan and therefore owned by the Government Art Collection so not actually assets of the Department.

Departments: Marketing

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent on  (a) managing his Department's corporate identity in each year since 1997-98 and  (b) branding in the last 12 months.

Anne McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions was formed on 8 June 2001 from parts of the former Department of Social Security, the former Department for Education and Employment, and the Employment Service. Information prior to 2001 is not held centrally and can be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
	The total cost of re-branding the Department to accommodate this change in 2001 was £232,044. This covered design work, staff research and consultation, and the application of the logos to key items such as stationery, building signs and electronic media.
	In managing this corporate identity, a review was undertaken in 2004 to support the organisational design with a new corporate image. The cost of this review was £92,751, which included design, product management and production.
	Within the last 12 months we have developed easy to understand guidelines for use by staff and also external organisations, so that the integrity of the Department's identity is upheld where it is used or displayed. The cost of the development and production of these guidelines has been £45,663.

Departments: Training

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what training courses were offered to  (a) Ministers and  (b) civil servants in his Department in the last 12 months.

Anne McGuire: During 2004-05, the Department framed its Learning and Development (L&D) priorities within four strands of the DWP Skills Strategy:
	Increasing leadership capacity;
	Improving line management capability;
	Developing professional and technical excellence; and
	Enhancing generic skills.
	Throughout 2006 each part of DWP continued to highlight these four strands of L&D activity, with differing emphasis depending upon the specific business challenges for their department. The learning offered formed part of a flexible and responsive learning and development system accessed through portals to cost-effective blended learning solutions fulfilling identified learning requirements for civil servants; to enable them to do their jobs, or as part of their development, or to increase their capabilities.
	 (a) Training courses offered to Ministers in 2006:
	Media training;
	Update on legislative processes; and
	British Sign Language.
	 (b) Training courses offered to civil servants in 2006:
	The information has been placed in the Library.

Non-departmental Public Bodies: Performance Standards

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library copies of  (a) the customer satisfaction surveys and  (b) the results of mystery shopper exercises conducted since 2001 for (i) Jobcentre Plus, (ii) the Pension Service, (iii) the Child Support Agency and (iv) the Disability and Carers Service.

Anne McGuire: For information up to February 2006, I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 8 February 2006,  Official Report, columns 1191-92W.
	Jobcentre Plus has not undertaken any further quantitative national customer satisfaction surveys since February 2006.
	A copy of the Jobcentre Plus Mystery Shopping National Report for 2005-06 has been placed in the Library.
	A customer satisfaction survey for the Pension Service's International Pension Centre was conducted last year. It is due for publication later this year; copies will be placed in the Library at that time. The Pension Service is now in the final stages of designing its 2007 survey, which is due to be completed at the end of the year.
	Updated copies of the Pension Service mystery shopping results for 2004-05, 2005-06 and the first three quarters of 2006-07 have been placed in the Library.
	The Child Support Agency has not conducted any national customer satisfaction surveys or mystery shopper exercises since February 2006.
	The Disability and Carers Service (DCS) conducted a Customer Service Survey in 2005-06 and a copy of the report has been placed in the Library. A further Customer Service Survey for 2006-07 has just been conducted but the report is not yet available.
	For 2005-06 and the first quarter of 2006-07, DCS still had its own internal measurement checks known as 'Measurement of Customer Service' (MCS). Copies of the 2005-06 end of year MCS report and the first quarter's MCS report for 2006-07 have been placed in the Library.
	MCS is now being replaced by a dedicated Mystery Shopping programme for DCS. This programme will provide an independent assessment of customer service delivery and will also be used to target internal improvements in DCS based on the six criteria of the DCS 'Customer Promise' that are set out in the DCS Customer Information Leaflet. The first results from the Mystery Shopping Programme will become available later this year.

Pension Service: Manpower

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff were employed by the Pension Service local service teams in each of the last four years, broken down by region.

James Purnell: Since July 2004 local service has come under single national management, therefore the information in the following table is the national whole-time equivalent at each year end since 1 July 2004. Prior to this there were several changes in the management and organisational structures, which means that it is not possible to show a meaningful regional split of these numbers.
	
		
			  As at 31 March of each year  Whole-time equivalents 
			 2005 2,520 
			 2006 2,500 
			 2007( )(Forecast) 2,270 
			  Note: All figures have been converted to Office of National Statistics (ONS) for ease of comparison across financial years.

Remploy

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the businesses owned and run by Remploy; and what their  (a) value and  (b) annual profit was according to the most recently available figures.

Anne McGuire: Copies of the Remploy Annual Report and Accounts for 2005-06 are available in the Library.
	The company's businesses did not make an annual profit in 2005-06. The businesses, their net assets/liabilities and operating loss for 2005-06 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  £000 
			  Remploy business  Operating loss  Net assets/liabilities 
			 Furniture 15,295 4,368 
			 Health care 7,054 1,361 
			 Textiles 3,786 2,087 
			 Offiscope 4,860 550 
			 Household and toiletries 7,922 2,885 
			 Packaging and print 5,218 4,549 
			 Automotive 8,304 8,085 
			 Workscope 27,303 5,984 
			 E Cycle 5,689 (1)328 
			 Contract activities 9,777 693 
			 Community enterprise 705 (1)29 
			 Interwork (now Employment Services) 15,466 (1)1,135 
			 Managed services 5,464 937 
			 Corporate 19,369 (1)216,042 
			 (1) Negative values.  Source: Remploy 2005/06 Annual Report and Accounts.

Welfare New Deal

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost of implementing in full the proposals set out in his Department's report 'A new deal for welfare: empowering people to work'.

Jim Murphy: Over the next two years we will be investing an additional £360 million in our Welfare Reform Green Paper proposals. This will be spent primarily on extending our successful Pathways to Work programme nationwide by 2008, but will also cover a range of welfare reform measures as set out in the Green Paper.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Antisocial Behaviour

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of the Smile, Manners, Attitude, Respect, Tolerance, Talk programme trials being run by police in Ealing, Greenwich and Camden; what estimate he has made of the cost of the programmes; what plans there are to roll the programme out across the country; and when the evaluation of the programme by the Metropolitan Police Service is scheduled to be completed.

Tony McNulty: The SMARTT pilot is a matter for the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

Bokhari Family

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Mr. Bokhari, deported on 23 January, was accompanied on his journey to Pakistan by a doctor or nurse.

Liam Byrne: I wrote to my hon. Friend on 20 February 2007 with the information requested.

Bokhari Family

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons Mr. and Mrs. Bokhari of Grimsby, detained at Yarl's Wood Detention Centre, were taken out handcuffed to Heathrow airport for deportation before the Minister had reached a decision on deportation.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 24 January 2007
	I wrote to my hon. Friend on 20 February 2007 with the information requested.

Bokhari Family

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date and at what time he  (a) received the representations of the hon. Member for Grimsby that the Bokhari family should be allowed to remain in Grimsby,  (b) decided that the family should be deported and  (c) communicated his decision on the deportation to the hon. Member for Grimsby; on what date and at what time the family were handcuffed and taken to the airport; at what time they were deported; and on which flight.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 25 January 2007
	I wrote to my hon. Friend on 20 February 2007 with the information requested.

Citizenship: Armed Forces

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether  (a) Commonwealth and  (b) other foreign national servicemen in the British armed forces may apply for British citizenship during their service.

Liam Byrne: There are no restrictions on the ability to apply for British citizenship. In both cases, however, there may be difficulty in satisfying the statutory requirement for naturalisation that the applicant must normally have been in the United Kingdom throughout the period of five years ending on the date of the application. The effect of the change I announced on 22 November 2006,  Official Report, column 68WS, is that absence from the United Kingdom occasioned by service in the British armed forces will, for this purpose, normally be treated as residence here. Absence occasioned by service in the Brigade of Gurkhas will only be so treated if, by the date of the application, that service has come to an end.

Community Support Officers: Shropshire

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the target for the recruitment of police community support officers in Shropshire has been changed from 107 to 78.

Tony McNulty: In my written ministerial statement on 27 November 2006, the Government accepted the view of the police service that the delivery of neighbourhood policing does not necessarily need 24,000 police community support officers (PCSOs). We are providing continued support in 2007-08 for 16,000 PCSOs, and we will not expect forces to increase the number of PCSOs beyond this. The share of this target for West Mercia Constabulary, whose force area includes Shropshire, is 270.

Departments: Official Cars

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vehicles belonging to his Department were  (a) lost and  (b) stolen in each year since 1997; and what the (i) make and model and (ii) value was of each vehicle.

Liam Byrne: Home Office central records show that 11 vehicles either belonging or leased to the Department were stolen in the last 10 years. There were no lost cars. Details are set out in the table.
	
		
			  Home Office stolen vehicles 1997-2007 
			  Description  Date stolen  Residual value (£) 
			 Landrover 110 2.5td station wag 21 October 1997 3,312.25 
			 Ford transit 130 2.5d lwb 15minibus 4 December 1997 1,065.55 
			 Ford escort 40 1.8d bonus ii van 4 April 1998 1,958.42 
			 Ford transit 2.5 td lwb 15minibus 30 April 1998 2,795.65 
			 Vauxhall belmont 1.4 saloon 19 November 1999 1,559.87 
			 Rover montego 2.0 td estate 20 October 2000 2,244.80 
			 Landrover discovery td5s5l/h rear drive 24 August 2001 23,000.00 
			 Landrover 90 2.5td hardtop 3 May 2003 3,322.73 
			 Ldv 400 convoy 2.5td hi-loader van 29 July 2004 3,052.63 
			 Volkswagen golf 1.9 tdi se (lease car) 23 June 2004 7,245.00 
			 Ford transit 190 2.5td 35cwt lwb van 23 August 2006 2,242.95

Deportation: Appeals

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many appeals he considered against tribunal decisions to deport asylum seekers in each of the last four years; how many such requests came from  (a) hon. Members,  (b) lawyers and  (c) other individuals; and in how many cases in each category he overturned the decision of the tribunal.

Liam Byrne: This data is not routinely collected and can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Drugs: East Riding

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people arrested in East Yorkshire between January and December 2006 were tested for  (a) opiates and  (b) crack cocaine; how many of those tested positive in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: East Yorkshire is part of the Humberside police force area. Three out of four BCUs are authorised to test for specified class A drugs as part of the Drug Interventions Programme and these are Kingston upon Hull; North East Lincolnshire and North Lincolnshire. East Yorkshire does not currently operate drug testing as part of the Drug Interventions Programme.
	Between January and December 2006, 4,844 tests for specified class A drugs (heroin, cocaine/crack cocaine) were conducted as part of the Drug Interventions Programme in Humberside police force area. Of the 4,844 tests conducted, 36per cent. of tests were positive for specified class A drugs, of which 559 tests were positive for both heroin and cocaine/crack, 833 tests were positive for  (a) opiates and 334 tests were positive for  (b) cocaine/crack.

Humberside Police: Manpower

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were employed by Humberside police in  (a) 1996 and  (b) 2006.

Tony McNulty: The available data are given in the table.
	Police strength data are published annually in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin "Police Service Strength, England and Wales". The latest publication (data as at 31 March 2006) can be downloaded from:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/hosb1306.pdf
	
		
			  Police officer strength for Humberside police force as at 31 March 1996 and 31 March 2006 (FTE)( 1) 
			  As at 31 March each year:  Officer strength 
			 1996 2,041 
			 2006 2,224 
			 (1) Full-time equivalent. All officers less staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave.

Illegal Immigrants: EC Action

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the establishment of a rapid reaction force for illegal immigrants at EU level; and to what extent UK officials will participate in this initiative.

Liam Byrne: A proposal establishing a mechanism for the creation of Rapid Border Intervention Teams (RABITs) under the aegis of the European Border Agency (Frontex) is currently being negotiated. The UK is excluded from the Frontex Regulation (2007/2004) which established the organisation. Our legal relationship with the proposed RABITs Regulation is therefore complex, and it is not yet clear to what extent UK officials will participate in this initiative.

Immigration

Anne Moffat: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress is being made on the review Fair, effective, transparent and trusted: Rebuilding confidence in our immigration system; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: On 12 December 2006 the Home Secretary and the Permanent Secretary gave a detailed update on progress to the Home Affairs Committee and we will be shortly publishing further updates to the Home Affairs Committee Recommendations. We have substantially met the December milestones published in the review and have published detailed information on this, which is available on the Home Office website (http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/dec-commitments-IND.pdf). We are making good progress towards the April milestones.

Leave to Remain

George Mudie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 5 February 2007,  Official Report, column 701W, on leave to remain, what process was used to provide the substantive answer of 29 November 2006,  Official Report, column 777W, on leave to remain.

Liam Byrne: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate's records do not contain the time of a case decision, so where more than one decision on discretionary leave was made in a day it is not possible to identify which was the last. The answer given on 29 November 2006 related to week commencing 23 October 2006 in which only one such decision was made on the last day.

Norfolk Constabulary: Finance

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what level of annual efficiency savings Norfolk constabulary is required to make.

Tony McNulty: Norfolk Constabulary, like the rest of the police service, has been asked to make cumulative efficiency gains of 3 per cent. of net revenue expenditure per year over the three years from 2005-06 to 2007-08. Half of the efficiency gains are to be cashable. No target has yet been set for years beyond 2007-08, but it remains vital for the police service to identify and to realise opportunities for further efficiency gains.

Omed kadir Hamzak

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when Omed kadir Hamzak, Home Office Ref: O 1054841, a constituent of the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood, will be informed of the content of the decision that was made on his case on 6 December 2006.

Liam Byrne: I will write to my right hon. Friend shortly explaining the details in this case.

Police

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police stations have  (a) opened and  (b) closed in each police force area in each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: The management of the police estate and allocation of resources are matters for each police authority and the chief officer, who are responsible for assessing local needs.
	
		
			  Survey completed in March 2006: number of police stations opened and closed since 1992 
			   March each year 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001 
			   Opened  Closed  Opened  Closed  Opened  Closed  Opened  Closed  Opened  Closed 
			 Avon and Somerset* 0 -13 2 -1 3 0 0 0 2 0 
			 Bedfordshire* — — 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 0 0 -1 1 -4 0 0 0 -1 
			 Cheshire* 0 -3 0 -1 0 -2 1 -4 1 -2 
			 City of London 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cleveland* — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Cumbria* 1 -1 0 0 0 -10 0 0 0 0 
			 Derbyshire* 0 0 0 0 1 -1 0 0 1 0 
			 Devon and Cornwall* — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Dorset 0 0 0 0 0 -1 1 -2 0 -3 
			 Durham 2 -4 1 -1 o 0 0 0 3 -3 
			 Dyfed-Powys* 0 -3 4 -1 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Essex* 1 -1 0 0 1 -1 1 -43 4 -19 
			 Gloucestershire 0 -1 1 0 0 -4 0 -12 1 -6 
			 Gtr Manchester* 0 0 1 -9 0 -4 0 0 0 -2 
			 Gwent — — — — — — — — 0 -7 
			 Hampshire 2 0 0 0 0 -1 0 -2 0 0 
			 Hertfordshire 0 0 1 -1 0 0 0 -2 4 0 
			 Humberside 0 0 1 0 0 -2 1 -2 2 -2 
			 Kent* 1 -1 3 -3 2 0 0 -2 0 0 
			 Lancashire 0 -3 0 -4 0 -5 0 -3 0 -1 
			 Leicestershire 3 0 2 -2 3 -3 2 0 0 0 
			 Lincolnshire 1 -6 0 -1 1 -1 0 0 0 0 
			 Metropolitan* — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Merseyside 0 0 0 -1 0 -1 0 -6 0 -1 
			 Norfolk* — — — — — — 0 -1 0 0 
			 Northamptonshire* 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -1 
			 Northumbria — — — — — — — 0 0 0 
			 North Wales — — — — — — — -5 0 -2 
			 North Yorkshire* 1 -1 1 0 0 -3 0 -3 0 0 
			 Nottinghamshire 1 0 o -22 1 -1 2 0 2 0 
			 South Wales* 4 -19 1 -2 4 -5 1 -12 1 -4 
			 South Yorkshire 0 -3 2 0 0 -4 0 -2 3 -6 
			 Staffordshire 0 0 1 -2 1 -1 1 -1 0 0 
			 Suffolk 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Surrey 0 0 0 -2 0 -2 o -4 6 0 
			 Sussex* 0 -1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Thames Valley 1 0 1 -7 9 -1 2 -2 0 -4 
			 Warwickshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 West Mercia* 0 -2 0 0 4 -4 1 -1 1 -1 
			 West Midlands* — — — — — — — — — — 
			 West Yorkshire — — — — — — — — 2 0 
			 Wiltshire 0 -2 0 -2 0 -2 0 0 0 0 
			 Totals 19 -64 23 -63 35 63 14 -109 33 -65 
		
	
	
		
			   March each year 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			   Opened  Closed  Opened  Closed  Opened  Closed  Opened  Closed  Opened  Closed 
			 Avon and Somerset* 2 0 1 -1 0 0 1 -1 0 -1 
			 Bedfordshire* 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 -2 0 -3 
			 Cambridgeshire 0 0 0 -1 1 -1 2 -2 0 -2 
			 Cheshire* 0 -1 1 0 1 -1 1 -4 0 0 
			 City of London 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cleveland* — — 1 -1 2 0 2 -1 0 0 
			 Cumbria* 1 -1 0 0 1 -1 3 -1 0 0 
			 Derbyshire* 1 -1 0 0 0 0 1 -3 0 -1 
			 Devon and Cornwall* — — 0 0 0 0 3 -3 0 0 
			 Dorset 3 -2 0 -1 2 -1 2 -1 0 -1 
			 Durham 0 -2 1 -1 0 -2 0 0 0 0 
			 Dyfed-Powys* 5 0 5 -5 2 -1 1 -1 0 0 
			 Essex * 1 -3 0 0 1 0 2 -1 1 -1 
			 Gloucestershire 2 -4 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Gtr Manchester* 0 0 0 0 4 -5 14 -15 0 -2 
			 Gwent 0 0 0 -3 2 -1 2 0 0 0 
			 Hampshire 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 -1 0 0 
			 Hertfordshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -1 
			 Humberside 0 -1 2 -1 5 -2 7 -2 3 -3 
			 Kent* 2 -2 0 0 0 -1 0 0 2 0 
			 Lancashire 0 0 2 -2 1 -7 0 -6 2 0 
			 Leicestershire 1 -1 3 -3 0 0 0 -1 1 -1 
			 Lincolnshire 0 -1 0 -2 0 -1 0 -1 1 -1 
			 Metropolitan* — — 0 -2 3 -3 0 -1 0 0 
			 Merseyside 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -1 
			 Norfolk* 1 -3 2 -1 0 -4 0 0 0 0 
			 Northamptonshire* 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Northumbria 0 C 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Wales 0 -1 0 -1 0 0 0 -1 0 0 
			 North Yorkshire* 0 C 0 0 2 -1 2 -1 0 0 
			 Nottinghamshire 1 0 1 -2 1 -1 3 -3 2 -1 
			 South Wales* 1 -t 1 -4 0 0 0 0 5 0 
			 South Yorkshire 6 -8 2 -5 0 -1 0 -1 0 0 
			 Staffordshire 2 -2 0 0 0 -1 0 0 0 -1 
			 Suffolk 0 0 0 0 1 -1 1 -1 2 0 
			 Surrey 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Sussex* 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Thames Valley 2 0 5 -5 1 -1 10 0 1 -1 
			 Warwickshire 0 0 0 -1 0 -1 1 -2 0 0 
			 West Mercia* 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 
			 West Midlands* — — — — 1 -4 1 -2 0 -1 
			 West Yorkshire 0 -1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 -3 
			 Wiltshire 1 -1 3 -1 3 -2 2 -2 2 -2 
			 Totals 36 -40 35 -45 36 34 62 -60 24 -27 
			  Notes: 1 12 police stations were transferred from Metropolitan Police Authority to boundary forces in April 2000; Essex (2); Herts (4) and Surrey (6).  2 In 1996-97 South Wales Police transferred nine police stations to Gwent. This is reflected as nine closures in South Wales. As Gwent did not provide figures this year it isn't reflected as openings for Gwent.  3 The totals given do not always cover data from all 43 forces every year.   Record of when past figure revised *  Kent amended March 04 data in return August 05  Cheshire = Six police premises were previously counted as police stations when they did not meet the criteria. Therefore records amended Jan 2005  North Yorkshire = 11 police premises were previously counted as police stations when they did not meet the criteria. Therefore records amended Jan 2005  West Midlands and West Mercia - January 05  Avon and Somerset - September 2004  Bedfordshire, Cheshire, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Dyfed-Powys, Kent and Met - July/August 2003  Cleveland, Devon and Cornwall, and Essex - September 2003  Northamptonshire, Sussex and West Yorkshire - August 2003  West Midlands - October 2003  Norfolk- November 2003  Greater Manchester - June 2004  South Yorkshire - March 2006  Hampshire - March 2006  West Mercia - July 2006

Police Custody

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons arrested have had to be moved for detention outside the station area in which they were arrested because all cells were already occupied in circumstances where some of those cells were being used as part of Operation Safeguard.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not held centrally.

Police Custody: Human Rights

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what rules apply to the detention of people for long hours by  (a) the police and  (b) immigration authorities; what those rules say about detainees receiving food and drink; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Section 41 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 provides that an arrested person may be detained for up to 24 hours at a police station. Section 42 provides that the period of detention may increase by a further 12 hours on the authority of a superintendent. Sections 43 and 44 provide that any period of detention beyond 36 hours and up to a maximum of 96 is permissible on application to and the authority of a magistrate. Under the provisions of the Immigration (Places of Detention) Direction 2004, a person may be held under immigration powers in a police cell or immigration short term holding facility for up to five days. This may be extended by two days if removal directions are in place.
	The PACE code of practice for the detention, treatment and questioning of persons by police officers (Code C) require that in any 24-hour period of detention, a person is offered one main meal and two light meals. Soft drinks must be offered with each meal and upon any reasonable request between meals.
	This provision applies if a person is detained at a police station on behalf of the Immigration Service. Persons detained in immigration short-term facilities are provided with food and a hot or cold drink on arrival and, within reason, upon request.

Police National Computer

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  whether an audit of the accuracy of data held on the Police National Computer has been conducted in the last five years;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the accuracy of data stored on the Police National Computer.

Tony McNulty: Two audits were carried out in August 2002, and the Home Office reported to Lord Falconer that the general position on data accuracy was far more favourable than had previously been suggested. The exercise found that in 94 per cent. of cases, the key information was recorded entirely accurately, and that in the remaining 6 per cent. some inaccuracies were found but, in the majority of instances, the inaccuracy was not critical.
	In 25 cases (involving 11 persons), the PNC record contained some inaccuracy as to name or date of birth. Nevertheless, nine persons would have been correctly matched on PNC, and the other two (0.08 per cent. of the total sample) might have been matched through other available information.
	In nine cases (involving nine persons), there was a minor error in the details of the offence or disposal recorded on the PNC. None of these was considered likely to impact on an employment decision.
	In 64 cases (28 persons), there was no trace of the person on the PNC. This is clearly a potentially worrying problem. But, in practice, the offences involved were less serious (although some 16 per cent. had resulted in a custodial sentence). Of the 48 cases brought by the police, 29 were various driving offences, eight related to theft, burglary or robbery, five to failure to surrender, and five to other offences classified as not serious and non-violent. The one remaining case was of ABH. No sexual offences, or more serious offences of violence, were involved. The research found that the more serious offences are more likely to be recorded correctly on the PNC.
	It is important to note here that the first exercise did not take specifically into account other factors which might explain why a conviction is correctly not recorded on the PNC. The later exercise on sex offences revealed that, in a number of instances in which the PNC had appeared to be in error, subsequent events had led to a record being wiped—for example, where there had been a successful appeal, or the offender had died.
	There were 29 "impending prosecution" cases (i.e. where an arrest/summons report had been entered on the PNC but the court results had not been logged). The programme of work which HMIC has been overseeing to improve the timeliness of data inputting has improved the position here. In the case of an enhanced disclosure, a local police intelligence check should identify an "impending prosecution" case and result in the court result being added if it is available.
	Finally, there were 125 other cases in which the PNC had a record of the person concerned but details of an offence and conviction were missing. Again, the offences were less serious in nature. 79 per cent. were various driving offences, failure to surrender, false accounting and various other offences categorised as non-violent. There were three offences of assault or ABH, three drugs-related offences, and 16 grouped as theft, burglary or robbery.
	Of 67 persons on PNC who were found to have an offence missing, 85 per cent. had at least two previous equivalent or more serious convictions (and 66 per cent. had five or more previous offences). In a high proportion of these cases, a missing conviction is considered unlikely to have a material impact on an employment decision.
	Two thematic inspections were carried out by Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary (HMIC) during 2001-02 with a specific focus on the timeliness of input of initial reports or arrest or summons and finalisation of case results post court appearance. Since that time, HMIC has continued to audit individual forces on a risk-based annual schedule, examining performance against nationally agreed targets for input of records. Both the thematic inspection reports from 2001-02 and all subsequent force audits are available on HMIC's website.

Police: Finance

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the outturn band D council tax  (a) precepts were for England in each year from 1997-98 to 2006-07 and  (b) precept was for each police authority in England and Wales in 2006-07.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is set out in the tables.
	
		
			  Table A: Average band D council tax precepts in England, 1997-98 to 2006-07 
			   Metropolitan police authorities  Shire police authorities 
			 2006-07 102.56 133.31 
			 2005-06 97.94 126.97 
			 2004-05 92.98 121.12 
			 2003-04 84.50 108.71 
			 2002-03 71.00 85.00 
			 2001-02 63.50 71.85 
			 2000-01 60.76 66.41 
			 1999-2000 58.00 61.00 
			 1998-99 55.00 56.00 
			 1997-98 55.00 53.00 
			  Source: Department for Communities and Local Government. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Precepts for police authorities in England and Wales, 2006-07 
			  Police authority  Police precept on council tax (band D) (£) 
			 Avon and Somerset 137.84 
			 Bedfordshire 117.55 
			 Cambridgeshire 142.29 
			 Cheshire 108.49 
			 Cleveland 150.72 
			 Cumbria 163.08 
			 Derbyshire 135.15 
			 Devon and Cornwall 125.53 
			 Dorset 149.13 
			 Durham 100.80 
			 Dyfed-Powys 150.21 
			 Essex 110.97 
			 Gloucestershire 170.96 
			 Greater Manchester 110.67 
			 Gwent 152.32 
			 Hampshire 119.43 
			 Hertfordshire 123.98 
			 Humberside 142.47 
			 Kent 116.37 
			 Lancashire 113.09 
			 Leicestershire 132.33 
			 Lincolnshire 125.37 
			 Merseyside 121.46 
			 Metropolitan 210.82 
			 Norfolk 154.17 
			 North Wales 166.89 
			 North Yorkshire 180.00 
			 Northamptonshire 162.11 
			 Northumbria 71.78 
			 Nottinghamshire 132.24 
			 South Wales 126.42 
			 South Yorkshire 113.27 
			 Staffordshire 152.53 
			 Suffolk 130.86 
			 Surrey 163.26 
			 Sussex 115.74 
			 Thames Valley 132.58 
			 Warwickshire 138.95 
			 West Mercia 150.24 
			 West Midlands 87.55 
			 West Yorkshire 112.40 
			 Wiltshire 132.84 
			  Source: Department for Communities and Local Government and Welsh Assembly Government.

Police: Gender

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many  (a) females and  (b) males were recruited for the post of (i) police officer, (ii) police community support officer and (iii) special constable in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many  (a) police officers,  (b) police community support officers and  (c) special constables were recruited in each of the last five years; and what percentage of the police workforce such new recruits represented in each of those years.

Tony McNulty: The available data for 2002-03 to 2005-06 inclusive are given in the tables.
	
		
			  Police officer female and male recruits( 1)  from 2002-03 to 2005-06( 2)  (FTE)( 3)  and recruits as percentage of total strength 
			   Female recruits  Male recruits  Total recruits  Recruits percentage of strength 
			  England and Wales 
			 2002-03 1,950 5,507 7,457 5.6 
			 2003-04 3,478 7,389 10,867 7.8 
			 2004-05 2,824 5,234 8,058 5.7 
			 2005-06 2,396 4,171 6,567 4.6 
			 (1) Recruits included those officers joining as police standard direct recruits and those who were previously special constables. This excludes police officers on transfers from other forces and those rejoining. Data have not been previously published in this format, published data are for all joiners. (2 )Financial year runs 1 April to 31 March inclusive. Data are not available prior to 2002-03. (3 )Full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. 
		
	
	
		
			  Police community support officer female and male recruits( 1)  from 2002-03 to 2005-06( 2)  (FTE)( 3)  and recruits as percentage of total strength 
			   Female recruits  Male recruits  Total recruits  Recruits percentage of strength 
			  England and Wales 
			 2002-03 382 695 1,077 91.6 
			 2003-04 826 1,305 2,130 62.3 
			 2004-05 1,233 1,705 2,938 47.3 
			 2005-06 663 805 1,468 21.7 
			 (1) Recruits included those officers joining as police standard direct recruits and those who were previously special constables. This excludes police community support officers on transfers from other forces and those rejoining. Data have not been previously published in this format, published data are for all joiners. (2 )Financial year runs 1 April to 31 March inclusive. Data are not available prior to 2002-03. PCSOs were introduced as part of the Police Reform Act 2002. (3 )Full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. 
		
	
	
		
			  Special constable female and male recruits( 1)  from 2002-03 to 2005-06( 2)  (Headcount) and recruits as percentage of total strength 
			   Female recruits  Male recruits  Total recruits  Recruits percentage of strength 
			  England and Wales 
			 2002-03 493 878 1,371 12.4 
			 2003-04 903 1,404 2,307 21.0 
			 2004-05 1,624 2,331 3,955 33.2 
			 2005-06 1,619 2,355 3,974 30.2 
			 (1 )Recruits included those specials joining as direct recruits to the constabulary. This excludes specials on transfers from other forces and those rejoining. Data have not been previously published in this format, published data are for all joiners. (2) Financial year runs 1 April to 31 March inclusive. Data are not available prior to 2002-03.

Police: Gloucestershire

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was awarded in real terms to Gloucestershire Police Authority in specific grants for each fiscal year from 2002, broken down by type of grant; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is set out in the tables.
	
		
			  Gloucestershire police authority, specific grant funding 
			  £ million 
			   Crime Fighting Fund  Basic Command Unit Fund  Community Support Officer Funding  Neighbourhood Policing Fund  Rural Policing Fund  Forensic Grant  Special Priority Payments 
			 2002-03 1.982 — — — 0.776 0.511 — 
			 2003-04 2.314 0.405 0.172 — 0.778 0.535 0.303 
			 2004-05 2.433 0.405 0.439 — 0.776 0.477 0.519 
			 2005-06 2.433 0.405 0.976 — 0.772 0.396 0.667 
			 2006-07(1, 2, 3) 2.433 0.405 0.475 1.517 — — — 
			 2007-08(4) 2.433 0.405 0.489 2.468 — — — 
		
	
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Special Formula Grant  Capital  Airwave  Premises Improvement Fund  Total Specific Grants and Capital Provision  Total Specific Grants and Capital Provision in Real Terms 
			 2002-03 — 1.095 0.690 0.180 5.233 5.640 
			 2003-04 — 1.403 0.154 0.410 6.474 6.776 
			 2004-05 — 1.533 0.108 — 6.690 6.815 
			 2005-06 — 1.696 0.278 — 7.622 7.622 
			 2006-07(1, 2, 3) 1.815 1.577 — — 8.221 8.006 
			 2007-08(4) 1.815 1.379 — — 8.989 8.524 
			 (1) Prior to 2006-07 funding for pensions and security was included in general grant. These are now funded as specific grants (Gloucestershire received £7.8 million in security and pensions deficit grant in 2006-07 and is expected to receive £7.4 million in 2007-08). (2) Rural Policing Grant, Special Priority Payments and Forensic Grant were consolidated to form Special Formula Grant in 2006-07. (3) An extra capital payment of £198,000 will be paid on 12 March 2007 for 2006-07 as announced on 19 February 2007. (4) The Crime Fighting Fund was unring-fenced in December 2006.

Police: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about the performance of police in  (a) Hertfordshire and  (b) Hemel Hempstead in each of the last seven years.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office has received numerous representations regarding police forces in England and Wales. In addition, there have been formal reports published relating to the performance of the police service and of Hertfordshire Constabulary specifically. These can be found on the websites for Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) at:
	http://inspectorates.homeoffice.gov.uk/hmic/inspect_reports1/
	and the Home Office at:
	http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/performance-and-measurement/performance-assessment/
	The most recent police performance assessments were published in October 2006.The latest HMIC publication regarding Hertfordshire Constabulary was the baseline assessment 2005-06, and regarding policing in the Western BCU (which covers Hemel Hempstead) the Western Area BCU inspection (January 2004) and follow-up inspection (December 2004).

Police: Manpower

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the recent changes in police numbers in England and Wales.

Tony McNulty: The information available is in the following tables and can be found at the following web address:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rdspdfs07/hosb0407.pdf
	
		
			  Table 1: Police officer strength by English Government office regions and Wales (full-time equivalents)( 1) 
			   Police officers  Police officers less staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave (comparable with previously published figures)  Police officers 
			   Strength as at:  Strength as at:  Change in 12 months  Change in 6 months 
			   September 2005  March 2006  September 2006  September 2005  March 2006  September 2006  September 2005 to September 2006  March 2006 to September 2006 
			  English Government office regions and Wales  fte  fte  fte  fte  fte  fte  No.  %  No.  % 
			 North East 7,440 7,490 7,430 7,336 7,365 7,306 -10 -0.1 -60 -0.8 
			 Cleveland 1,649 1,702 1,707 1,640 1,677 1,681 58 3.5 4 0.2 
			 Durham 1,729 1,721 1,722 1,710 1,704 1,700 -7 -0.4 1 0.0 
			 Northumbria 4,062 4,066 4,002 3,986 3,983 3,925 -61 -1.5 -65 -1.6 
			
			 North West 19,461 19,491 19,403 19,217 19,213 19,137 -58 -0.3 -87 -0.4 
			 Cheshire 2,209 2,218 2,213 2,161 2,174 2,170 4 0.2 -5 -0.2 
			 Cumbria 1,263 1,265 1,276 1,241 1,230 1 ,247 13 1.1 11 0.9 
			 Greater Manchester 8,060 8,071 7,930 7,966 7,959 7.825 -130 1.6 -141 -1.7 
			 Lancashire 3,602 3,635 3,604 3,550 3,583 3,542 2 0.0 -31 -0.9 
			 Merseyside 4,327 4,302 4,380 4,300 4,269 4,353 53 1.2 78 1.8 
			
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 12,938 12,874 12,879 12,823 12,759 12,766 -59 -0.5 5 0.0 
			 Humberside 2,267 2,232 2,251 2,244 2,224 2,243 -15 -0.7 19 0.9 
			 North Yorkshire 1,591 1,653 1.654 1,582 1,636 1,642 63 4.0 1 0.1 
			 South Yorkshire 3,351 3,305 3,271 3,306 3,255 3,236 -81 2 .4 -34 -1.0 
			 West Yorkshire 5,729 5,685 5.703 5,691 5,644 5,645 -26 -0.5 19 0.3 
			
			 East Midlands 9,454 9,436 9,334 9,354 9,304 9,202 -120 -1.3 -102 -1.1 
			 Derbyshire 2,050 2,073 2,051 2,033 2,046 2,025 1 0.0 -22 -1.1 
			 Leicestershire 2,278 2,277 2,235 2,254 2,250 2,206 -42 -1.9 -41 -1.8 
			 Lincolnshire 1,221 1,236 1,217 1,207 1,213 1,195 -4 -0.3 -19 -1.5 
			 Northamptonshire 1,343 1,338 1,344 1,320 1,317 1,325 1 0.1 6 0.4 
			 Nottinghamshire 2,562 2,512 2,487 2,541 2,477 2,452 -76 -3.0 -25 -1.0 
			
			 West Midlands 13,868 13,919 13,958 13,727 13,753 13,828 89 0.6 38 0.3 
			 Staffordshire 2,286 2,303 2,300 2,254 2,273 2,273 14 0.6 -2 -0.1 
			 Warwickshire 1,002 1,040 1,043 999 1,032 1,041 40 4.0 3 0.3 
			 West Mercia 2,398 2,385 2,390 2,363 2,351 2,362 -7 -0.3 5 0.2 
			 West Midlands 8,182 8,192 8,224 8,111 8,097 8,153 42 0.5 33 0.4 
			
			 Eastern 10,926 11,043 11,051 10,792 10,888 10,896 125 1.1 8 0.1 
			 Bedfordshire 1,226 1,225 1,224 1,207 1.197 1,205 -3 -0.2 -1 -0.1 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,463 1,449 1,446 1,444 1,430 1,424 -17 -1.2 -3 -0.2 
			 Essex 3,208 3,322 3,307 3,168 3,279 3,264 100 3.1 -15 -0.4 
			 Hertfordshire 2,145 2,166 2,170 2,118 2,126 2,127 25 1.1 4 0.2 
			 Norfolk 1,577 1,575 1,568 1,559 1,557 1,556 -9 -0.6 -7 -0.4 
			 Suffolk 1,307 1 ,307 1,337 1,296 1,300 1,320 30 2.3 29 2.2 
			
			 London 32,015 31,822 31,773 31,651 31,405 31,348 -242 -0.8 -50 -0.2 
			 London, City of 890 875 862 883 869 854 -29 -32 -13 1.5 
			 Metropolitan police 31,125 30,948 30,911 30,767 30,536 30,494 -214 -0.7 -37 -0.1 
			
			 South East 16,738 16,829 16,941 16,437 16,547 16,646 203 1.2 111 0.7 
			 Hampshire 3,800 3,798 3,840 3,710 3,705 3,749 40 1.1 42 1.1 
			 Kent 3,632 3,648 3,685 3,577 3,599 3,630 53 1.5 37 1.0 
			 Surrey 1,948 1,967 1,969 1,906 1,922 1,919 21 1.1 1 0.1 
			 Sussex 3,140 3,127 3,141 3,100 3,092 3,105 1 0.0 14 0.4 
			 Thames Valley 4,217 4,288 4,305 4,144 4,229 4,242 88 2.1 17 0.4 
			
			 South West 10,791 11,024 11,007 10,685 10,874 10,850 216 2.0 -17 -0.2 
			 Avon and Somerset 3,310 3,439 3,460 3,294 3,389 3,405 150 4.5 21 0.6 
			 Devon and Cornwall 3,448 3,540 3,511 3,405 3,493 3,463 63 1.8 -29 -0.8 
			 Dorset 1,490 1,512 1,528 1,463 1,485 1,493 38 2.5 16 1.1 
			 Gloucestershire 1,305 1,303 1,310 1,291 1,289 1.294 5 0.4 7 0.5 
			 Wiltshire 1,238 1,230 1,198 1,232 1,219 1,194 -40 -3.2 -32 -2.6 
			
			 Wales 7,649 7,599 7,579 7,575 7,529 7,509 -71 -0.9 -20 -0.3 
			 Dyfed-Powys 1,178 1,194 1,188 1,162 1,182 1,174 10 0.9 -6 -0.5 
			 Gwent 1,472 1,467 1,489 1,472 1,467 1,489 17 1.2 22 15 
			 North Wales 1,644 1,634 1,588 1,627 1,617 1,572 -56 -3.4 -46 -2.8 
			 South Wales 3,355 3,303 3,313 3,314 3,263 3,274 -42 -1.3 10 0.3 
			
			 Total of all 43 forces 141,281 141,527 141,354 139,597 139,636 139,486 73 0.1 -173 -0.1 
			 Central Service secondments 611 538 519 611 538 519 -92 -15.1 -19 -3.5 
			 British Transport Police 2,319 2,499 2,492 2,291 2,481 2,451 173 7.5 -7 -0.3 
			
			 Total police officer strength 144,211 144,564 144,365 142,499 142,655 142,456 154 0.1 -200 -0.1 
			 Total police officer strength (excluding BTP) 141,892 142,065 141,873 140,208 140,174 140,005 -19 0.0 -193 -0.1 
			 (1) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Police staff strength by English Government office regions and Wales (full-time equivalents)( 1,2) 
			   Police staff  Police staff less staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave (comparable with previously published figures)  Police staff 
			   Strength as at:  Strength as at:  Change in 12 months  Change in 6 months 
			   September 2005  March 2006  September 06  September 2005  March 2006  September 2006  September 2005 to September 2006  March 2006 to September 2006 
			  English Government office regions and Wales  fte  fte  fte  fte  fte  fte  No.  %  No.  % 
			 North East 3,023 3,107 3,229 2,992 3,070 3,194 206 6.8 122 3.9 
			 Cleveland 705 697 735 705 685 725 30 4.3 38 5.4 
			 Durham 738 744 737 736 739 733 -1 -0.1 -7 -1.0 
			 Northumbria 1,580 1,665 1,757 1,552 1,646 1,735 177 11.2 91 5.5 
			
			 North West 9,069 9,225 9,283 8,912 9,121 9,101 213 2.4 57 0.6 
			 Cheshire 1,094 1,170 1,201 1,068 1,149 1,172 107 9.8 31 2.7 
			 Cumbria 717 732 731 703 723 719 14 1.9 -2 -0.2 
			 Greater Manchester 3,353 3,352 3,375 3,300 3,326 3,308 22 0.7 23 0.7 
			 Lancashire 1,734 1,764 1,777 1,691 1,729 1,731 43 2.5 13 0.7 
			 Merseyside 2,172 2,207 2,199 2,151 2,194 2,171 27 1.2 -8 -0.4 
			
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 6,918 7,172 7,284 6,828 7,125 7,215 368 5.3 112 1.6 
			 Humberside 1,068 1,097 1,157 1,051 1,091 1,153 89 8.3 60 5.5 
			 North Yorkshire 962 1,039 1,090 943 1,030 1,081 128 13.3 51 4.9 
			 South Yorkshire 1,798 1,853 1,914 1,765 1,817 1,880 116 6.5 62 3.3 
			 West Yorkshire 3,088 3,183 3,122 3,068 3,187 3,100 35 1.1 -61 -1.9 
			
			 East Midlands 5,133 5,259 5,274 5,034 5,168 5,173 141 2.7 15 0.3 
			 Derbyshire 1,125 1,109 1,142 1,108 1,084 1,120 17 1.6 34 3.0 
			 Leicestershire 1,040 1,079 1,081 1,004 1,050 1,049 41 3.9 2 0.2 
			 Lincolnshire 681 677 691 675 680 687 10 1.4 14 2.1 
			 Northamptonshire 934 1,010 1,004 918 995 989 70 7.5 -6 -0.6 
			 Nottinghamshire 1,353 1,385 1,356 1,329 1,360 1,328 3 0.2 -28 -2.1 
			
			 West Midlands 6,683 6,777 6,802 6,598 6,663 6,703 119 1.8 25 0.4 
			 Staffordshire 1,331 1,305 1,291 1,318 1,290 1,281 -40 -3.0 -15 -1.1 
			 Warwickshire 603 609 623 603 605 617 19 3.2 14 2.3 
			 West Mercia 1,548 1,563 1,594 1,512 1,511 1,539 47 3.0 31 2.0 
			 West Midlands 3,201 3,300 3,295 3,164 3,257 3,265 94 2.9 -5 -0.1 
			
			 Eastern 6,933 7,032 7,055 6,830 6,921 6,934 122 1.8 23 0.3 
			 Bedfordshire 748 759 769 739 752 755 21 2.9 10 1.3 
			 Cambridgeshire 862 898 962 849 887 942 100 11.6 64 7.1 
			 Essex 2,009 1,968 1,892 1,981 1,947 1,867 -118 -5.9 -76 -3.9 
			 Hertfordshire 1,436 1,489 1,498 1,408 1,450 1,467 62 4.3 8 0.6 
			 Norfolk 1,032 1,064 1,072 1,018 1,049 1,055 40 3.9 8 0.7 
			 Suffolk 846 853 862 835 837 847 16 1.9 9 1.0 
			
			 London 14,146 14,150 14,251 13,733 13,732 13,855 105 0.7 100 0.7 
			 London, City of 297 314 329 296 314 329 32 10.8 14 4.6 
			 Metropolitan Police 13,849 13,836 13,922 13,437 13,417 13,526 73 0.5 86 0.6 
			
			 South East 10,565 10,702 10,950 10,372 10,531 10,746 385 3.6 248 2.3 
			 Hampshire 2,043 2,093 2,261 2,015 2,071 2,223 218 10.7 168 8.0 
			 Kent 2,287 2,292 2,285 2,249 2,255 2,245 -2 -0.1 -7 -0.3 
			 Surrey 1,443 1,541 1,609 1,398 1,485 1,553 166 11.5 69 4.5 
			 Sussex 2,056 1,994 2,009 2,017 1,966 1,979 -47 -2.3 15 0.7 
			 Thames Valley 2,736 2,782 2,785 2,693 2,755 2,746 49 1.8 3 0.1 
			
			 South West 6,455 6,625 6,690 6,333 6,500 6,555 236 3.6 65 1.0 
			 Avon and Somerset 1,983 2,080 2,120 1,921 2,018 2,052 137 6.9 40 1.9 
			 Devon and Cornwall 2,050 2,082 2,062 2,036 2,058 2,034 13 0.6 -20 -0.9 
			 Dorset 919 918 940 904 907 924 21 2.3 22 2.4 
			 Gloucestershire 674 694 707 656 675 687 33 4.8 12 1.8 
			 Wiltshire 829 851 862 816 841 859 33 3.9 11 1.3 
			
			 Wales 3,687 3,741 3,767 3,595 3,664 3,699 81 2.2 26 0.7 
			 Dyfed-Powys 564 566 588 546 559 575 24 4.3 22 3.9 
			 Gwent 735 749 781 735 749 781 47 6.3 32 4.2 
			 North Wales 882 882 892 854 859 879 10 1.2 10 1.1 
			 South Wales 1,507 1,543 1,506 1,461 1,497 1,465 -1 0.0 -37 -2.4 
			
			 Total of all 43 forces 72,610 73,790 74,585 71,229 72,495 73,175 1,975 2.7 795 1.1 
			 British Transport Police 904 941 997 892 923 979 93 10.3 56 6.0 
			 (1) Police staff exclude designated officers, police community support officers and traffic wardens. (2) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and sums of the constituent items. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Police community support officer (PCSO) strength by English Government office regions and Wales (full-time equivalents)( 1) 
			   Police community support officers 
			   Strength as at:  Change in 12 months  Change in 6 months 
			   September 2005  March 2006  September 2006  September 2005 to September 2006  March 2006 to September 2006 
			  English Government office regions and Wales  fte  fte  fte  No.  %  No.  % 
			 North East 300 295 365 65 21.5 70 23.5 
			 Cleveland 86 100 111 25 29.1 11 11.0 
			 Durham 72 67 90 18 25.6 23 35.1 
			 Northumbria 143 129 164 21 14.9 35 27.3 
			 
			 North West 680 722 863 184 27.0 141 19.6 
			 Cheshire 77 75 77 0 0.3 3 3.4 
			 Cumbria 19 17 27 8 42.0 10 59.0 
			 Greater Manchester 264 251 321 57 21.7 71 28.2 
			 Lancashire 159 184 224 65 41.0 40 21.6 
			 Merseyside 161 196 214 53 33.0 18 9.4 
			 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 647 673 828 181 28.0 155 23.0 
			 Humberside 20 20 112 92 468.2 92 468.2 
			 North Yorkshire 69 71 85 16 23.6 14 20.2 
			 South Yorkshire 125 121 126 1 1.0 6 4.6 
			 West Yorkshire 433 462 505 72 16.5 43 9.3 
			 
			 East Midlands 390 408 563 173 44.2 154 37.8 
			 Derbyshire 43 42 56 13 30.2 14 33.7 
			 Leicestershire 119 136 155 36 30.1 19 13.8 
			 Lincolnshire 78 78 134 56 71.5 56 72.6 
			 Northamptonshire 38 40 62 24 63.2 22 55.0 
			 Nottinghamshire 112 112 155 44 39.1 43 38.3 
			 
			 West Midlands 450 471 681 231 51.3 210 44.5 
			 Staffordshire 62 70 103 41 66.5 33 47.4 
			 Warwickshire 56 64 61 5 8.9 -3 -4.7 
			 West Mercia 86 85 170 84 97.8 84 98.5 
			 West Midlands 247 252 348 101 40.9 96 38.0 
			 
			 Eastern 562 568 781 219 38.9 213 37.4 
			 Bedfordshire 43 41 47 4 9.3 6 14.7 
			 Cambridgeshire 92 101 125 33 35.8 24 23.2 
			 Essex 193 192 296 103 53.3 104 54.1 
			 Hertfordshire 135 139 165 30 22.3 26 18.5 
			 Norfolk 67 65 102 36 53.2 37 56.6 
			 Suffolk 33 30 46 14 41.5 17 55.8 
			 
			 London 2,067 2,326 2,689 622 30.1 362 15.6 
			 London, City of 14 11 8 -6 -42.9 -3 -27.3 
			 Metropolitan police 2,053 2,315 2,681 628 30.6 365 75.8 
			 
			 South East 567 639 772 204 36.0 132 20.7 
			 Hampshire 23 30 103 80 347.8 73 243.3 
			 Kent 103 97 100 -3 -3.1 3 3.1 
			 Surrey 102 126 161 59 58.2 35 28.0 
			 Sussex 231 257 274 43 18.6 17 6.6 
			 Thames Valley 109 130 134 25 23.1 4 3.1 
			 
			 South West 377 394 591 215 57.0 197 50.1 
			 Avon and Somerset 146 130 182 36 24.4 52 39.7 
			 Devon and Cornwall 75 74 158 84 111.7 85 114.5 
			 Dorset 56 61 72 17 29.7 11 18.0 
			 Gloucestershire 62 72 94 32 51.5 22 30.6 
			 Wiltshire 38 57 85 47 123.7 28 49.1 
			 Wales 282 271 384 101 35.9 113 41.8 
			 Dyfed-Powys 24 26 30 6 25.2 4 14.6 
			 Gwent 81 76 97 16 20.0 21 27.9 
			 North Wales 61 58 76 15 23.8 18 30.2 
			 South Wales 116 111 181 65 55.4 71 63.8 
			 
			 Total of all 43 forces 6,323 6,769 8,517 2,194 34.7 1,748 25.8 
			 British Transport Police 135 200 235 100 74.1 35 17.5 
			 (1 )This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items.

Police: Retirement

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average retirement age was for  (a) female and  (b) male police officers in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: Data on the retirement age of officers are not collected centrally. Available data on the age of officers when leaving the police service are given in the table.
	
		
			  Age of police officers when leaving service, as at 31 March 2003 to 31 March 2006 (headcount)( 1) 
			   31 March each year 
			   2003  2004  2005( 2)  2006 
			 25 and under 743 740 570 705 
			 26 to 40 2,889 2,720 2,430 3,480 
			 41 to 55 3,877 3,440 4,012 5,886 
			 Over 55 279 301 319 320 
			 (1) Data have not been previously published in this format, published data for police leavers are given by full time equivalent strength. (2) Excludes Leicestershire. Data not available.

Public Order Offences: Yorkshire and Humberside

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many penalty notices for disorder were issued in each year between 2004 and 2006, by each Police Force in the Yorkshire and Humber region, broken down by offence.

Tony McNulty: Data on the number of Penalty Notices for Disorder issued in the Government Office for Yorkshire and The Humber, broken down by police force area and offence, for the years 2004 and 2005, as well as provisional data for 2006, are provided in the tables.
	
		
			  Number of PNDs issued to all offenders, by offence and police force area, Yorkshire and the Humber 2004, 2005 and provisional data for January-June 2006( 1) 
			   2004 
			DA01  DA02  DA03  DA04  DA05  DA06  DA07 
			   Total PNDs issued  Wasting police time  Misuse of public telecoms system  Knowingly giving false alarm  Causing harassment, alarm or distress  Throwing fireworks  Drunk and disorderly  Selling alcohol to person under 18 
			 Humberside 1,596 12 5 1 928 2 604 2 
			 North Yorkshire 1,078 5 — — 591 1 373 — 
			 South Yorkshire 2,098 36 6 — 433 8 1,590 2 
			 West Yorkshire 4,277 162 5 — 2,698 18 923 4 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 9,049 215 16 1 4,650 177 26,609 8 
		
	
	
		
			   DA08  DA10  DA11( 2)  DA12( 2)  DA13( 3)  DA14( 3)  DA15( 3)  DB03 
			   Purchasing alcohol in licensed premises for under 18  Purchasing of alcohol for consumption in licensed premises for under 18  Delivery of alcohol to under 18 or allowing delivery  Destroying/  damaging property (Under £500)  Theft (retail under £200)  Breach of fireworks curfew  Possession of a Category 4 firework  Possession by under 18 of adult firework 
			 Humberside — — — 16 14 — — — 
			 North Yorkshire — — — 1 — — — — 
			 South Yorkshire 1 1 — — 2 1 1 4 
			 West Yorkshire 1 — — 146 200 — 1 2 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 2 66 0 163 216 1 2 6 
		
	
	
		
			   DB04  DB05  DB06  DB07  DB078  DB09  DB10 
			   Trespassing on railway  Throwing stones at train  Drunk in highway  Consuming alcohol in a designated public place  Depositing and leaving litter  Consumption of alcohol by under 18 in licensed premises  Allowing consumption of alcohol by under 18 in bar in licensed premises 
			 Humberside — 2 1 7 2 — — 
			 North Yorkshire — — 106 1 — — — 
			 South Yorkshire — — 10 — 3 — — 
			 West Yorkshire 1 1 105 2 3 5 — 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 1 3 222 10 8 5 0 
		
	
	
		
			  2005 
			DA01  DA02  DA03  DA04  DA05  DA06  DA07  DA08 
			   Total PNDs issued'  Wasting police time  Misuse of public telecommunications system  Giving false alarm to fire and rescue authority  Causing harassment, alarm of distress  Throwing fireworks  Drunk and disorderly  Sale of alcohol to under 18  Purchasing alcohol for under 18 
			 Humberside 3,265 32 2 — 1,957 5 679 45 2 1 
			 North Yorkshire 1,596 — 1 — 746 1 697 — — 
			 South Yorkshire 3,710 98 5 4 1,142 13 2.261 107 4 
			 West Yorkshire 9,217 270 23 — 4,608 34 1,961 72 2 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 17,788 400 31 4 8,453 53 5,598 224 8 
		
	
	
		
			   DA09  DA10  DA11  DA12  DA13  DA14  DA15  DA16  DA17 
			   Purchasing alcohol for under 18 for consumption on premises  Delivery of alcohol to uner18  Criminal damage (under £500)  Theft (retail under £200)  Breach of fireworks curfew  Possession of category 4 firework  Possession by a person under 18 of adult firework  Sale of alcohol to drunken person( 4)  Supply of alcohol to person under 18 
			 Humberside 1 1 182 329 1 1 3 — —- 
			 North Yorkshire — — 11 26 — — 1 — — 
			 South Yorkshire — 10 6 — 1 1 3 1 — 
			 West Yorkshire 3 8 1,138 963 1 1 4 1 — 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 4 19 1,337 1.318 3 3 11 2 0 
		
	
	
		
			   DB03  DB04  DB05  DB07  DB08  DB09  DB10  DB11 
			   Trespassing on a railway  Throwing stones at a train/railway  Drunk in a highway  Consumption of alcohol in public place  Depositing and leaving litter  Consumption of alcohol by under 18 on licensed premises  Allowing consumption of alcohol by under 18 in licensed premises  Buying alcohol by under 18 
			 Humberside 1 — 5 8 6 4 — 1 
			 North Yorkshire — — 113 — — — — — 
			 South Yorkshire 3 1 9 5 35 — 1 — 
			 West Yorkshire 1 1 93 4 24 5 — — 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 5 2 220 17 65 9 1 1 
		
	
	
		
			  January to June 2006 provisional figures 
			DA01  DA02  DA03  DA04  DA05  DA06  DA11  DA12 
			   Total PNDs issued  Wasting police time  Misuse of public telecommunications system  Giving false alarm to fire and rescue authority  Causing harassment, alarm or distress  Throwing fireworks  Drunk and disorderly  Criminal damage (under £500)  Theft (retail under £200) 
			 Humberside 1,780 26 9 — 705 1 507 157 313 
			 North Yorkshire 965 2 — — 266 1 389 95 143 
			 South Yorkshire 2,363 46 9 1 925 7 1,038 62 118 
			 West Yorkshire 4,631 157 31 — 1,357 6 1,891 572 454 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 9,739 231 49 1 3,253 15 3,825 886 1,028 
		
	
	
		
			   DA13  DA14  DA15  DA16  DA17  DA18  DA19  DA20  DA21 
			   Breach of fireworks curfew  Possession of category 4 firework  Possession by a person under 18 of adult firework  Sale of alcohol to drunken person  Supply of alcohol to person under 18  Sale of alcohol to person under 18  Purchase alcohol for person under 18  Purchase alcohol for person under 18 for consumption on premises  Delivery of alcohol to person under 18 or allowing such delivery 
			 Humberside — — — — — 34 6 — 1 
			 North Yorkshire — — — — — 2 1 — 3 
			 South Yorkshire 1 — — — — 82 8 — 10 
			 West Yorkshire — — — 1 1 76 3 2 2 2 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 1 0 0 1 1 1,562 206 39 154 
		
	
	
		
			   DB03  DB04  DB05  DB07  DB08  DB12  DB13  DB14 
			   Trespass on a railway  Throwing stones at a train/railway  Drunk in a highway  Consumption of alcohol in public place  Depositing and leaving litter  Consumption of alcohol by under 18 on relevant premises  Allowing consumption of alcohol by under 18 on relevant premises  Buying or attempting to buy alcohol by person under 1 18 
			 Humberside — — 5 9 7 — — — 
			 North Yorkshire — — 62 — 1 — — — 
			 South Yorkshire 1 — 8 10 37 — — — 
			 West Yorkshire 3 — 49 — 24 1 1 — 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 4 0 124 19 69 1 1 0 
			 (1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (2) Offence added with effect from 1 November 2004. (3) Offence added with effect from 11 October 2004. (4) Offence added with effect from 4 April 2005.

Rights of Accused

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there are any offences which require a defendant to prove innocence rather than the prosecution having to prove guilt.

Tony McNulty: A person may only be convicted of an offence if the prosecution proves his guilt beyond reasonable doubt. It is a fundamental principle, enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998, that a person is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty. In certain circumstances, a defendant who seeks to rely on a particular defence has the burden of raising or establishing the defence. For example, at common law, there is a presumption of sanity and the onus is on the defendant to establish the defence of insanity. Some statutory offences are phrased so that it is for the defendant to establish, on a balance of probabilities, that he has a defence for behaviour which would otherwise be criminal. However, that is unusual, and such defences are usually ones where the facts of the defence would only be known to the defendant.

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Government will lift their reservation on the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 19 February 2007
	As the Government have said on previous occasions, we believe that without this reservation the interpretation of the UNCRC might come into conflict with the UK's own domestic legislation on immigration. For this reason we think that it is right to retain the reservation as presently worded. The retention of the reservation, however, does not mean that vulnerable children do not have the protection of the UK's own laws. We are satisfied that asylum-seeking children in the UK receive adequate care, protection and support. In addition, domestic legislation also provides protection under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Children Act 2004.

Vetting

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if he will remove the requirement for individuals who have been checked by the Criminal Records Bureau for employment in one organisation to undergo additional checks when applying for employment in other organisations;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the  (a) time taken to perform and  (b) cost of additional checks carried out by the Criminal Records Bureau under the requirement for individuals to be checked for each application they make to different organisations.

Joan Ryan: The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) does not place a requirement on individuals to undergo additional checks when applying for different employment positions. Disclosures are primarily designed to be used by an employer at the point of recruitment for a particular position. Ultimately it is for each employer and not the CRB to decide whether a fresh disclosure should be applied for, bearing in mind their legal and other responsibilities and subject to any statutory requirements.
	No assessment has been made of the time taken or the costs involved in performing additional checks. The CRB completes all applications in the order in which they are received and does not monitor repeat applications.

Websites: Regulation

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Government plan to increase the regulation of websites based in the UK.

Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer to the answer of 2 February 2006,  Official Report, column 599W, given by the Minister of State for Immigration, Citizenship and Nationality. At the national level, there are no plans to increase regulation in this area. Creation and use of websites is not a regulated activity. However, arrangements are in place under the Electronic Commerce Regulations to enable internet service providers in the UK to take down inappropriate content when they are notified of its existence. Activities conducted through websites are subject to the general law in the same way as any other offline activity.
	All published material including violent pornography, is subject to the Obscene Publication Act 1959, which makes illegal the publication of an article whose effect, taken as a whole, is to tend to deprave and corrupt those likely to read, see or hear it. Responsibility for the prevention of the physical importation of obscene material lies with HM Revenue and Customs under the terms of the Customs Consolidation Act 1876 and section 170(2) of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979.
	The Obscene Publication Act applies equally to material published over the internet, though the overwhelming majority of obscene material published on the internet originates abroad and beyond our jurisdiction. This raises a challenge to our controls on obscene material. The Government are therefore proposing to make illegal the possession of a limited category of extreme pornographic material in measures to be introduced in the forthcoming Criminal Justice Bill.
	The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) supported by the UK industry and the European Union works to minimise the availability of illegal internet content, particularly child abuse images, by means of a telephone hotline to report incidences of potentially illegal content on websites. Reports are passed on to the relevant authorities for action. Since 1996 the amount of potentially illegal content hosted in the UK has declined from 18 per cent. to less than 1 per cent. The work of the IWF is an example of responsible self-regulation by the UK internet industry.

TREASURY

Child Benefit

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the cost of raising child benefit for all children to the rate of the youngest child; and what estimate he has made of the number of children this would lift out of poverty.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 25 October 2006,  Official Report, column 1942W.

Child Benefit: Disabled

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make an estimate of the annual cost of increasing child benefit for each disabled child by £5 per week; what estimate he has made of the number of children who would be removed from relative poverty under such a policy; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The cost in 2006-07 of raising the value of child benefit by £5 per week for all disabled children is around £100 million.
	It is not possible to provide reliable estimates of the possible impacts on child poverty of increasing child benefit for disabled children using existing HMT/HMRC tax and benefit models.

Child Care Tax Credit

Lyn Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the ratio is of child care tax credit payments to full child care costs  (a) in each region, including London, and  (b) in West Ham constituency.

Dawn Primarolo: The child care element of working tax credit is available to lone parents working for at least 16 hours per week and to couples where both adults work for at least 16 hours per week. These families can receive up to 80 per cent. of their reported eligible child care costs.
	As not all families report their full child care costs, we do not know what the ratio is of child care tax credit payments to full child care costs.

Correspondence

Simon Burns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to reply to the letter of 22 November 2006, from the hon. Member for West Chelmsford (Ref. 2006/11 008756), on Dr. Kent; what the reasons are for the time taken to reply; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs very much regrets the delay and replied to the hon. Member's letter on 21 February 2007.

Data Protection

James Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons the report of the review performed in August 1999 by Messrs. Attwood (International Division) and Bishop (Large Business Office) of his Department of Mr. Gerard Churchhouse's contribution to the transfer pricing review of IBM has not been disclosed to Mr. Churchhouse under his Data Protection Subject Access Request (SAR 2090/06) of March 2006.

Dawn Primarolo: The Data Protection Act 1998 confers the right of access on data subjects but this is subject to certain exemptions. HM Revenue and Customs, in common with other data controllers is entitled to apply these exemptions where permitted. There is no requirement for data controllers to disclose which, if any, exemptions have been applied and it is not departmental policy to do so.

Departments: Complaints

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many complaints were received by his Department and its executive agencies in  (a) 1997-98,  (b) 2001-02,  (c) 2005-06 and  (d) 2006-07 to date;
	(2)  how many independent bodies existed to hear appeals on decisions made by the Department and executive agencies in  (a) 1997-98,  (b) 2001-02,  (c) 2005-06 and (d) 2006-07 to date;
	(3)  how many staff worked in dedicated complaints units in the Department and executive agencies in  (a) 1997-98,  (b) 2001-02,  (c) 2005-06 and  (d) 2006-07 to date.

John Healey: The Treasury and its associated bodies have recognised complaints handling procedures in line with the Civil Service Code. Information is not held centrally on complaints received and on staff working directly on complaints handling.

Departments: Retirement

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employees from his Department were asked to retire upon reaching 65 years of age as a result of the Department's mandatory retirement policy in each year since 1997.

John Healey: None to date.

Departments: Theft

David Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what items valued at above £100 were reported as stolen from his Department's buildings or premises in the last 12 months.

John Healey: One laptop was reported as stolen in the period.

Export Controls: Weapons

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many breaches of the arms exports controls were reported in each of the last five years; and what assessment he has made of the extent to which this figure accurately reflects the actual number of breaches that took place.

Dawn Primarolo: HMRC calculate breaches of the arms export controls as the total number of:
	(a) Export seizures of goods on the UK's military list and dual-use goods that require export licences under EC Regulation 1334/2000.
	(b) Unlicensed exports referred to HMRC by Compliance Officers from the Department of Trade and Industry.
	
		
			  Financial Year  HMRC seizures  Referrals from the DTI  Total number of breaches 
			 2001-02 80 27 107 
			 2002-03 67 21 88 
			 2003-04 63 31 94 
			 2004-05 37 28 65 
			 2005-06 34 42 76 
		
	
	HMRC assess that the majority of UK exporters comply with the export control legislation.

Export Controls: Weapons

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were prosecuted for breaches of arms exports controls in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: Since 1 April 2001 there have been a total of seven prosecutions for breaches of arms export controls. Three individuals and four Limited companies have been prosecuted for breaches of arms export controls. There was one prosecution in each of the financial years 2001-02, 2003-04, and 2004-05. Two prosecutions took place in 2005-06 and two so far in the current financial year. All seven prosecutions have resulted in convictions.

Gift Aid

David Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what steps he has taken to increase the number of charitable donations using the Gift Aid scheme;
	(2)  what the total contribution of the Government to charities through the Gift Aid scheme was in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and how many people gave to charity through the scheme in each year.

Dawn Primarolo: In 2000 the Government made substantial improvements to the Gift Aid scheme as part of a wider package of measures to make the tax system simpler for charities and their donors and to encourage greater charitable giving. This included the abolition of the minimum limit on donations that qualify for Gift Aid, a simpler declaration procedure, and the ability to make oral declarations. Since 2000 the Government have made a number of additional improvements to the scheme to increase its flexibility and remove barriers to giving.
	Donations using Gift Aid have increased from £905 million in 1999-2000 to £3.4 billion in 2005-06. The amount of Gift Aid tax relief paid to charities has increased from £208 million in 1999-2000 to £750 million in 2005-06.
	HMRC does not collate figures for the total number of people giving using Gift Aid but sector estimates for 2004-05 suggest that around 10 million UK adults use Gift Aid for one or more of their donations in an average month.
	Details of charitable donations and Gift Aid relief are available to the public on the HMRC website at:
	<http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/charities/menu.htm>.

Joint International Tax Shelter Information Centre

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what work was carried out by the Joint International Tax Shelter Information Centre since 2004;
	(2)  what the cost was to the UK of its share of the Joint International Tax Shelter Information Centre in each year since 2004.

Dawn Primarolo: The Joint International Tax Shelter Information Centre (JITSIC) was set up in 2004 by the tax administrations of Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and United States to help participants identify and curb abusive tax schemes and identify those promoting them.
	Member countries have specialists in the JITSIC office in Washington DC who share expertise and experiences, and analyse a wide range of tax shelters and schemes with co-ordinated, real time exchanges of information.
	HMRC's share of JITSIC running costs from 2004 has been as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2004-05 214,000 
			 2005-06 234,000 
			 2006-07 (1)261,000 
			 (1) January year to date

Minimum Wage

Don Touhig: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many enforcement notices were issued by HM Revenue and Customs inspectors to employers for failure to pay the national minimum wage in the last 12 months.

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs compliance officers issued 81 enforcement notices in 2005-06 and have issued 60 enforcement notices in 2006-07 up to the end of January 2007.

Minimum Wage: Advisory Services

Don Touhig: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many calls were logged with the National Minimum Wage helpline in each of the past five years.

Dawn Primarolo: The numbers of inquiries received at the National Minimum Wage Helpline are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2002-03 53,676 
			 2003-04 53,226 
			 2004-05 57,733 
			 2005-06 61,355 
			 2006-07 42,808

PAYE

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many taxpayers had  (a) negative Pay As You Earn (PAYE) K codes and  (b) negative PAYE K codes in addition to payments on account in (i) 2003-04, (ii) 2004-05 and (iii) 2005-06;
	(2)  what the average overpayment or underpayment of taxpayers with negative Pay As You Earn K codes as well as payments on account was in  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05 and  (c) 2005-06;
	(3)  whether HM Revenue and Customs correspondingly reduced any requests for payments on account when calculating negative Pay As You Earn K codes in  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05 and  (c) 2005-06.

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not hold this information.

PFI

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the Financial Reporting Advisory Board's position on moving off-balance sheet private finance initiative projects onto balance sheet;
	(2)  when the Financial Reporting Advisory Board's report on private finance initiative accounting will be published;
	(3)  what recommendations the Financial Reporting Advisory Board has made regarding Technical Note 1 of the Treasury's Accounting Guidance;
	(4)  if he will make a statement on the Financial Reporting Advisory Board's position on the Government's estimate of its liabilities, including under the private finance initiative.

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the Financial Reporting Advisory Board's meeting with Treasury representatives on Monday 13 February 2007.

Stephen Timms: I refer to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 23 February 2007,  Official Report, column 981W.

Public Expenditure

David Kidney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which price indices he uses for determining annual uprating of public spending; and what the reasons are for each one's use for that purpose.

Stephen Timms: There is no general uprating of public expenditure. Specific parts of public expenditure (e.g. state pensions) are uprated as specified in relevant legislation.
	GDP deflators are used to allow for inflation when comparing public spending across years in real terms. The figures and background information on the GDP deflators are available on HM Treasury's public website:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/economic_data_and_tools/gdp_deflators/data_gdp_index.cfm

Revenue and Customs

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average time taken to process an HM Revenue and Customs 64-8 agent's authorisation form was in the last period for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: The target for processing 64-8s is 15 days. Across January and February 2007 the average time taken to process paper 64-8 forms was 3.77 days. Online 64-8s are automatically registered on SA and COTAX and, over the same period, the average time to register on the remaining HMRC systems was 9.78 days.

Revenue and Customs

Nick Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last reviewed the wording of HM Revenue and Customs' standard letter SA251; and for what reasons HM Revenue and Customs sends such letters to individuals from whom it also requires a tax return.

Dawn Primarolo: The SA251 letter was first issued in April 2004 when the criteria for including taxpayers within the self assessment system were revised. It is issued to people who are being taken out of self assessment to tell them that they no longer need to complete a tax return and what they need to do in the future should their circumstances change.
	The wording of the letter was last changed in October 2004. Since then an explanatory leaflet has also been issued with the letter. The detailed criteria are set out on the reverse of the letter. They are reviewed annually.

Revenue and Customs: Manpower

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the projections for staff members in each HM Revenue and Customs office until 2010; how many of the offices he expects to have the minimum staff number during this period; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Assuming that the hon. Gentleman's question relates to the table of projected staff numbers by location published on HMRC's website (http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/offices/index.htm), the figures give an initial indication only of HMRC's restructuring proposals and the projections are rounded. It is too early in the planning and consultation process to say what final staffing figures will be in 2010 in any specific office.

Smuggling: Tobacco

Colin Breed: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  whether he expects to make an announcement on the introduction of a technological innovation in tackling the smuggling and counterfeiting of tobacco products in the United Kingdom in the 2007 Budget;
	(2)  whether he expects a technological innovation in tackling smuggling and counterfeiting of tobacco products in the United Kingdom to be based on a voluntary agreement with the tobacco industry or introduced by legislation.

John Healey: HM Revenue and Customs have been working closely with the tobacco manufacturing industry and identified a range of options that could be introduced for tobacco products intended for sale in the UK duty paid market.
	However, a number of factors need to be considered to determine the most appropriate option, and how any technological solution could be introduced. The Chancellor takes all relevant factors, including market trends, into consideration when taking decisions at Budget.

Taxation

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many HM Revenue and Customs inquiries into 2004-05 tax returns have been started in each month.

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs does not keep a record of inquiries taken up by tax return year. Most enquiries into 2004-05 tax returns would have commenced during the 2005-06 tax year. The monthly figures for inquiries started on the tax returns of self-employed taxpayers and individuals are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			  2005  
			 April 13,063 
			 May 13,083 
			 June 12,214 
			 July 14,743 
			 August 12,025 
			 September 16,318 
			 October 13,999 
			 November 15,289 
			 December 18,008 
			   
			  2006  
			 January 25,031 
			 February 5,082 
			 March 5,623

Taxation: Channel Islands

Kate Hoey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the revenue lost to the Treasury as a result of  (a) the value added tax exemptions available to businesses based in the Channel Islands supplying unlicensed medicines to UK mainland consumers and  (b) the ability of such businesses to avoid UK corporation taxes.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) No estimate has been made.
	 (b) Corporation Tax would continue to be charged in accordance with the normal residence rules.

Taxation: EC Countries

Graham Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has identified any proposals for tax harmonisation in Europe, as referred to on page six of Prospects for the EU in 2007, Cm 7024, which would not harm UK interests.

Dawn Primarolo: Article 93 of the EC Treaty states that the Council shall adopt provisions for the harmonisation of indirect taxation, only to the extent that such harmonisation is necessary to ensure the establishment and functioning of the Internal Market. The Government assess all indirect tax proposals against this test and the impact of the proposal on the UK and publishes its assessment in the Explanatory Memoranda submitted to the Scrutiny Committees. The Government consider that the proposals that make up the VAT Package (changes to the place of supply of services, the one-stop scheme and reform of the 8(th) VAT Directive on cross-border refunds) would be in the interests of the UK.
	The Commission tabled a proposal on 30 December 2003 for an amendment to the Council Directive on the Common System of Taxation Applicable to Interest and Royalty Payments made between Associated Companies of Different Member States (the "Interest and Royalties Directive") (2003/49/EC). The Government have no objection to this targeted measure.
	The Commission has, in addition, tabled a recast of Council Directive 69/335/EEC of 17 July 1969 which regulates the levying of indirect taxes on the raising of capital. This proposal contains no changes of substance which impact on UK law and therefore has no material policy implications for the UK.

Welfare Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people received each tax credit administered by his Department for each year since 1997-98; and what estimate he has made of the number of such people in 2007-08.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 8 June 2006,  Official Report, column 862W.

Welfare Tax Credits

Mike Wood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to make correspondence and award notices simpler and clearer for tax credit claimants.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 7 November 2006,  Official Report, columns 1044-45W.

Welfare Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost of uprating tax credit awards for six months with no income disregard; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The uprating of tax credit elements is done on an annual basis. After the end of each financial year, provisional awards are based on the uprated elements for the new financial year.

Welfare Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the financial effect on the Exchequer of introducing tax credit awards which are fixed for periods of six months; what changes in administrative costs would result from such a reform; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer to the answer I gave the hon. Gentlemen on 19 July 2005,  Official Report, columns 1698-99; and on 14 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1273.

HEALTH

"Your Health, Your Care, Your Say"

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of the "Your Health, Your Care, Your Say" consultation process; and how much was spent on consultants.

Andy Burnham: The cost of the nationally organised elements of the "Your Health, Your Care, Your Say" listening exercise was £1.39 million, which was funded from the Department's running costs budget. The main component was £1.05 million paid to Opinion Leader Research to deliver a major research programme, which included the costs of a series of regional deliberative events and a national citizens' summit attended by nearly 1,000 members of the public. OLR's costs were incurred in the delivery of a service, rather than the provision of consultancy.

Accident and Emergency Departments

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2007,  Official Report, column 910W, to the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr. Lansley) on accident and emergency departments, at which 12 trusts there are no plans to consult on changes to services.

Andy Burnham: The national health service has told us that there are no plans to consult on changes to accident and emergency (A and E) facilities in the following 12 trusts:
	Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust
	Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
	North Bristol NHS Trust
	George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust
	Good Hope Hospital NHS Trust,
	Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
	Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust
	Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
	Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust
	South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust
	South Warwickshire General Hospitals NHS Trust
	Whittington Hospital NHS Trust

Air Ambulance Services: Hampshire

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what agreements remain to be put in place before the Hampshire Air Ambulance Service can be implemented; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The establishment of an air ambulance service is a local matter, with services provided by charities and funded through public donations and corporate sponsorship, and with clinical costs met by the national health service. Information on what agreements remain to be put in place before the Hampshire Air Ambulance Service can be implemented is not collected or held centrally.

Artwork Purchases

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much each NHS trust spent on purchasing artwork in each of the last 10 years.

Andy Burnham: This information is not available centrally in the form requested. Returns have been collected from trusts on a voluntary basis since 2004-05 on overall expenditure on arts and arts projects. However this cannot be disaggregated in a way which enables expenditure on the purchase of artwork to be identified, and we intend to discontinue the collection of information on this issue.

Blood

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether her assessment of NHS Blood and Transport's strategic outline case for the consolidation of blood production facilities at three sites will include an evaluation of the costs and risks associated with training new staff to replace experienced staff who will not relocate to the proposed sites.

Caroline Flint: The strategic outline case for the reconfiguration of blood production facilities is currently being developed. The National Blood Service (NBS) is already building a new blood centre in Filton (Bristol) to carry out blood processing and testing for Birmingham and the south west area.
	The NBS has established a group comprising of senior managers and staffside representatives to discuss the implications and implementation of the changes. The NBS expects to manage many of the post reductions through natural turnover and minimise the impact on staff.
	The NBS is currently undertaking detailed workforce planning, which will include a thorough analysis of training and development requirements. This will ensure that the NBS is in a position to staff new or expanded centres with a high-calibre workforce.

Clinical Academic Posts

Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will ring-fence the proceeds from the multi-professional and education levy for the funding of clinical academic posts.

Rosie Winterton: The Cooksey Report recommended that the funding for existing clinical academic posts including those in fulfilment of the United Kingdom clinical research collaborative Walport schemes, should be transferred from the multi professional education and training (MPET) budget and ring-fenced within the research and development budget. However, the report was published too late to be implemented in the 2007-08 allocations. Details of the posts to be included and the associated funding, have not yet been agreed with strategic health authorities (SHAs).
	For 2007-08 funding will therefore remain within the MPET element of the SHA central budget bundle, but through the service level agreement covering this funding, SHAs will be expected to continue to fund these posts, to which staff are currently being recruited.

Community Hospitals

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many applications for new community hospitals she has received from the South East Coast Strategic Health Authority.

Andy Burnham: We have received one application from the South East Coast Strategic Health Authority for funding from the community hospitals and services programme. This application is for the Hastings and Rother Primary Care Trust for the development of a primary health care centre within the development of the Hastings Station Plaza.

Community Hospitals

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her Department's definition is of a community hospital; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: In "Our Health, Our care, Our Community" we defined community hospitals and services as being:
	The broad range of services that are sited in defined local communities with small populations rising to about 100,000;
	Any clinical or social care functions that can be provided safely and appropriately away from large specialist centres (this is a set of functions that grows and changes as clinical and professional practice develops); and
	Those services and functions that benefit from, and indeed depend upon, close links to other local services, for example intermediate care services aimed at enabling an older person to regain independence in their own home.
	In allocating the funding, we are keen to support schemes that both focus on hospitals as well as community services such as home chemotherapy and mobile MRT scans.

Community Hospitals

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 7 November 2006,  Official Report, columns 1269-70W, on community hospitals, what the outcome of her Department's assessment of the bids was; whether her Department has received further bids for capital funding of community hospitals; which primary care trusts have submitted each bid; what the value of each bid is; which community hospitals each bid relates to; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: On 21 December we announced that we would fund four of the 10 schemes that were submitted for consideration as part of wave one of the community hospitals and services programme. Decisions about three schemes in wave one are still outstanding, two schemes were withdrawn by strategic health authorities and one did not meet the criteria.
	Twenty-five schemes have been submitted in wave two and the total funding requested is £254.1 million (see the following table for details). Not all the schemes submitted affect community hospitals as the intention of the programme is to support any capital scheme that delivers care in settings that are more convenient for patients, this includes, for example, one stop primary care centres and healthy living parks. A number of the schemes create new facilities that do not affect existing community hospitals.
	
		
			  Strategic health authority  PCT Amount requested from DH (£ million)  Scheme 
			 South central Southampton City 6.079 Redevelopment of Royal South Hampshire hospital 
			 East of England Suffolk 1.76 Redevelopment of Felixstowe Community hospitals 
			 London Barking and Dagenham 7.3 Redevelopment of Barking hospital 
			 London Richmond and Twickenham 3.98 New health and social care centre in Teddington adjoining the Teddington Memorial hospital 
			 North East Hartlepool 7.25 New primary care centre in Hartlepool 
			 North East Berwick upon Tweed 24.7 New community hospital in Berwick 
			 Yorkshire and Humber Calderdale Kirklees 12.91 Redevelopment of number of sites in and around Huddersfield 
			 Yorkshire and Humber North Yorkshire and York 19.7 New community campus on the site of the Selby War Memorial hospital 
			 Yorkshire and Humber North East Lincolnshire 1.427 New primary care centre in Grimsby 
			 Yorkshire and Humber Rotherham 0.961 New primary care centre in Rotherham 
			 East Midlands Nottinghamshire County 1.149 Redevelopment of Ashfield hospital 
			 South East Coast Hastings and Rother 12 New health care centre in Hastings 
			 South West Peninsula Gloucestershire 13.23 New community services facilities in Bourton and Moreton 
			 South West Peninsula Gloucestershire 6.46 New facilities for community services in Berkley Vale 
			 South West Peninsula Gloucestershire 0.25 Refurbishment at the Cirencester hospital 
			 South West Peninsula Gloucestershire 1.1 Refurbishment at the Stroud hospital 
			 South West Peninsula South Gloucestershire 16.99 New community hospital in Kingswood 
			 South West Peninsula Bath and North East Somerset 6.51 New primary and community care centre in Keynsham 
			 South West Peninsula North Somerset 15.13 Redevelopment of Clevedon hospital 
			 South West Peninsula Somerset 15.32 Redevelopment of South Petherton hospital 
			 South West Peninsula Wiltshire 17.85 Redevelopment of Chippenham hospital 
			 South West Peninsula Wiltshire 32.92 New primary care centre in Salisbury 
			 South West Peninsula Wiltshire 11.6 New primary care centre in Salisbury 
			 South West Peninsula Bournemouth and Poole 7.17 New community hospital in Boscombe 
			 South West Peninsula Torbay 9.26 Redevelopment of Brixham hospital 
			 
			 Total  — 254.1  —

Depression

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what trials her Department has undertaken of the efficacy of social support interventions for socially isolated and vulnerable groups of people with depression.

Rosie Winterton: The Department has not commissioned any research specifically in response to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's recommendation regarding trials of efficacy of social support interventions for socially isolated and vulnerable groups of people with depression that was included in their clinical guidelines issued in 2004. However, the Department funds research to support policy and to provide the evidence needed to underpin quality improvement and service development in the national health service and as part of its Policy Research Programme (PRP) has undertaken a study on "Mental health, social inclusion and arts: developing the evidence base". This has been commissioned by the Department for Culture Media and Sport and the Department in response to the Social Exclusion Unit's report on mental health and social exclusion. The study relates to participatory arts and mental health work in England with people with mental health needs aged 16 to 65. The study is ongoing.
	As part of the policy to introduce new roles into the mental health work force to help meet the needs of service users, the NHS plan included a commitment to train support, time and recovery (STR) workers who provide a range of social support to people with mental illness. At the end of January, over 3,100 STR workers were either in post or in training in the NHS. As part of PRP, the Department has commissioned a piece of research entitled "New roles in the Mental Health Workforce: Implementation and Experience" which is intended to provide systematic and conceptually connected snapshots of the ways in which new roles, including STR workers, operate and the impact of work force changes on the experience of users and carers with differing levels of need and expectation. This evaluation, led by Dr. Pauline Pearson, University of Newcastle, started in September 2006 and is ongoing.

Doctors

Celia Barlow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many salaried doctors are working in the NHS; and how many were working in the NHS in 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The number of salaried general medical practitioners (GMPs) employed by the national health service in 1997 and 2005 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  GMPs—England 
			  Number (Headcount) 
			   1997  2005 
			 GMPs (excluding retainers) 29,389 35,302 
			 Contracted and salaried general practitioners (GPs)(1) 27,200 29,340 
			 Other salaried GPs(2) 846 3,398 
			 GP registrars 1,343 2,564 
			 (1) The majority of these practitioners were formerly unrestricted or restricted principals. A small minority are salaried and were formerly. (2) Other salaried practitioners include GMS Other (previously included GMS assistants, GMS salaried doctors (para 52 SFA), GMS flexible career scheme GPs and GMS GP returners.  Note: Data as at 30 September, apart from 1997 GP data, as at 1 October.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care general and personal medical services statistics.

General Practitioners

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of general practitioners who  (a) opted to work out of hours and  (b) opted not to work out of hours in each of the last three years.

Andy Burnham: Information on the number of general practitioners (GPs) who have opted out is not collected centrally.
	For expenditure purposes in 2004-05, the estimated number of GP practices which opted out of providing out-of-hours provision assumes a stepped approach across the year: 30 per cent. by June/July 2004, 60 per cent. by September 2004 and 90 per cent. by January 2005.
	In 2005-06 and 2006-07, the estimated number of GP practices which opted out of providing out-of-hours provision was 90 per cent.

Gravesham Community Hospital

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the likely total cost to the public purse of the Gravesham Community Hospital private finance initiative.

Andy Burnham: The Gravesham Community Hospital private finance initiative is a joint project between Kent county council, the former Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley Primary Care Trust and Grosvenor House Group. The local NHS estimates the total value of the project to be around £25 million.

Health Service: Reform

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions she has received representations from other Government Ministers on behalf of constituents concerning health service reconfigurations acting in their capacity as constituency hon. Members in each year since 1997.

Andy Burnham: Representations from Government Ministers in other Government Departments are received regularly on a wide range of health-related issues which might include proposed service changes. In doing so, they make clear that they are acting as their constituents' representatives and not as a Minister, in accordance with section 4.6 of the Ministerial Code.
	Constituents should not lose representation in the House of Commons simply because their Member of Parliament is also a member of the Government.
	Decisions to reconfigure services within the national health service are made without political interference, though some decisions can be referred to the Secretary of State. Local authorities' overview and scrutiny committees have the power to refer any proposal to the Secretary of State if they believe the proposal is not in the interests of the health service or if consultation has been inadequate. The Secretary of State can refer the matter to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel for advice, require further consultation or endorse the decisions of the local NHS organisations responsible for them. However, very few such local reconfiguration decisions are referred to the Secretary of State.

Health Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) spells of patient care and  (b) finished consultant episodes there were in each year since 2004-05.

Andy Burnham: The information is set out in the following table:
	
		
			   2004-05  2005-06 
			 Finished in year admissions 11,988,425 12,569,152 
			 Finished consultant episodes 13,706,450 14,423,506 
			  Source: Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for health and social care.

Health Services

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the impact on the financial viability of hospitals of reductions in the number of GP referrals to secondary care by primary care trusts for out-patient services; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: No such assessment has been made centrally as this is for local determination. However, where providers attract patients through choice and other primary care-generated referrals, primary care trusts (PCTs) are expected to meet these commitments. PCTs should work with practices and service providers to take appropriate action to ensure services are provided within current waiting time standards, having full regard to clinical priorities. The commissioning controls for this year were set out in "The National Health Service in England: the operating framework for 2006-07" and reiterated in the operating framework for 2007-08, which was published in December 2006. The framework is available in the Library and at:
	http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4141091&chk=JENnyc

Health Services: Northamptonshire

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has for health service reconfigurations in Northamptonshire; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: Any proposals for service change are a matter for the national health service locally. There is a well-established and well-understood process for managing consultations on such changes so that patients, the public and local stakeholders can help to inform the local debate.
	We are aware that Northamptonshire Teaching Primary Care Trust is currently preparing to carry out a review of acute service provision across Northamptonshire. Any resulting proposals for major service changes will be subject to full public consultation.

Health Services: Standards

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government are taking to improve the quality of service from independent sector treatment centres; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: Independent sector treatment centres (ISTCs) overall perform well, helping to cut waiting times and increase the choices available to patients.
	Wave 1 ISTCs are monitored against the 26 key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure quality services are delivered. KPIs include clinical quality, patient experience and productivity of services. Where there are issues with performance, the Department works with the provider and local sponsors to ensure performance is improved.
	All ISTCs are authorised for service and regularly inspected by the Healthcare Commission.

Homeopathy

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) budgetary provision and  (b) expenditure of each NHS homeopathic hospital was in each of the last three years; and what changes in funding are planned for the future.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is not held centrally.
	There are five homeopathic hospitals in the United Kingdom: Glasgow, London, Bristol, Tunbridge Wells and Liverpool. These hospitals fall under the jurisdiction of the NHS in the area in which they are based. Any decisions on the services any of these hospitals provide are the responsibility of those NHS healthcare organisations.

Hospices: Finance

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to be able to announce a decision on the application of St. Rocco's hospice for a capital grant.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 22 February 2007
	The Government are committed to the continuing improvement of healthcare environments for patients, whether they are receiving care in hospital, in a care home, or in an end-of-life care setting. In September 2006, we announced £50 million to be made available over two years to enable adult hospices to bid to make physical improvements to their buildings.
	The total amount of capital funding applied for has exceeded the level of funds available. An independent steering group was established to evaluate applications received, and we are currently considering their assessments. We expect to notify applicants of the status of their bids in March 2007.

Hospital Consultants

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of NHS hospital consultants work solely for the NHS; and how many and what proportion of NHS hospital consultants also work in the private sector, broken down by estimated percentage of time spent on such work.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not collected centrally.

Hospitals: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the occupancy rates were for the West Hertfordshire Hospital Trust in the last three years for which figures are available.

Andy Burnham: The following table shows the average daily occupancy rates for beds at West Hertfordshire hospital national health service trust for the period 2003-04 to 2005-06
	
		
			   Occupancy rate (percentage) 
			 2003-04 79.4 
			 2004-05 78.2 
			 2005-06 77.2 
			  Source: Department of Health KH03.

Kettering Hospital

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the total capital cost was of establishing the new day case and cancer screening centre at Kettering General Hospital including equipment; and how it was funded;
	(2)  what the  (a) capital and  (b) revenue costs have been of maintaining the new daycase and cancer screening centre at Kettering Hospital since it was built.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not held centrally.

Macular Degeneration: Drugs

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which  (a) primary care trusts and  (b) NHS trusts ask patients to pay (i) wholly or (ii) in part for treatment with (A) Macugen and (B) Lucentis; what her policy is on such payments; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 23 February 2007
	The national health service does not charge NHS patients for their hospital treatment. In the absence of a funding direction associated with a positive appraisal by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, it is for primary care trusts to decide on funding the provision of treatments by the NHS based on an assessment of the available evidence.
	Where a patient elects to pay privately for a procedure that takes place at a NHS hospital, this is handled separately from NHS provision under Section 65 and/or 66 of the NHS Act 1977 (Section 7(10) of Health and Medicine Act 1988 refers) as amended by Section 26 of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990.

Maternity Services

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the viability of the community midwifery model being developed by the Independent Midwives Association.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 22 February 2007
	No assessment has been carried out centrally. It is for primary care trusts (PCTs) in partnership with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders to determine which models best suit the local needs of women and the midwifery workforce. This process provides the means for addressing local needs within the health community including the provision of maternity services.
	Ministers and officials have met with the Independent Midwives Association (IMA) over the past three years to discuss their proposal of a national health service community midwifery model. Following on from these discussions, the IMA have identified a group of midwives and one PCT who are willing to test the model and help to create an outline contract. That process is continuing.

Maternity Services: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many midwifery posts are vacant in West Hertfordshire Hospital Trust; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The following table shows the national health service three-month vacancies in England, the East of England strategic health authority area and West Hertfordshire hospital NHS trust for qualified midwifery staff.
	
		
			  Midwives, three-month vacancy rates, numbers of staff in post 
			   March 2006  September 2005 
			   Three-month vacancy rate (percentage)  Three-month vacancy number  (Staff in post) Full-time equivalent  (Staff in post) Headcount 
			 England, of which: 1.0 185 18,949 24,808 
			 East of England Government Office Region, of which: 1.4 25 1,725 2,352 
			 West Hertfordshire hospitals NHS trust 0.0 0 133 185 
			  Notes: Three-month vacancy notes:  1. Vacancy data are from the vacancy survey 2006.  2. Three-month vacancy information is as at 31 march 2006.  3. Three-month vacancies are vacancies which trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (full-time equivalents).  4. Three-month vacancy rates are three-month vacancies expressed as a percentage of three-month vacancies plus full-time equivalent staff in post.  5. Three-month vacancy rates are calculated using full-time equivalent staff in post from the non-medical workforce census September 2004.  6. Percentages are rounded to one decimal point. 7. Staff in post data are from the non-medical workforce census September 2005.  8. Vacancy and staff in post numbers are rounded to the nearest whole number.  9. Calculating the vacancy rates using the above data may not equal the actual vacancy rates.  10. Due to rounding, totals may not equal the sum of component parts.  11. Strategic health authority figures are based on trusts, and do not necessarily reflect the geographical provision of health care.   Source:  The Information Centre for health and social care vacancies survey March 2006.

Medical Records

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who will be the legal data controller for patient and other records held on the spine.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 22 February 2007
	The term "data controller" is defined in the Data Protection Act 1998, and relates to either individuals or organisations which either alone, jointly, or in common with others, determine the purposes for which, and the manner in which, any personal data are to be processed. Data controller responsibilities for records held on the spine will therefore be shared between the Secretary of State for Health and organisations which have access to those records.

Medway Maritime Hospital: Telephones

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the number of telephone calls lost per week by the call reception system at Medway Maritime Hospital;
	(2)  who  (a) records and  (b) audits telephone call system usage data at Medway Maritime Hospital.
	(3)  what the average cost is of a telephone call to a patient in Medway Maritime Hospital per minute.

Andy Burnham: The requested information is not collected centrally.

Correspondence

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to respond to the letter of 31 January 2007 from the hon. Member for Billericay on the proposed independent sector treatment centre for Basildon.

Andy Burnham: The reply was sent on 23 February 2007.

Mental Health Services: Sexuality

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Mental Health Bill on  (a) transgender people and  (b) lesbian, gay and bisexual people.

Rosie Winterton: Our assessment is that the Mental Health Bill will have no disproportionate impact on transgender, lesbian, gay and bisexual people.

Mentally ill: Community Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date the report commissioned by her Department to investigate international experiences of implementing community treatment orders completed its peer review.

Rosie Winterton: A revised report in response to the peer review was received on 1 February. Following this the Department has had to go back to the researchers several times to seek clarification on key areas. The Department plans to disseminate the report as soon as it has had an opportunity to consider the findings.

Midwives: Insurance

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans her Department has to require practising midwives to have professional indemnity cover; what assessment she has made of the impact of such a policy on the viability of independent midwifery services; what steps she has taken to explore the possibility of arranging or facilitating the provision of professional indemnity cover to independent midwives; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 22 February 2007
	All registered healthcare professionals will be required to have professional indemnity insurance to protect the public in the event of a claim for negligence. The implementation of this policy under section 60 of the Health Act 1999 is through legislative opportunity as it arises.
	All national health service employed practitioners will have indemnity as part of their contracts. Options for independent midwives include developing contracts with NHS employers such as the Albany model in south London, pursuing a social enterprise model, and setting up individual contracts with an NHS trust.
	While it is important to consider independent midwives, especially in relation to extended choice and diversity of provision, it cannot be at the cost of safety to the woman.

NHS Pensions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the employee contribution rate is to the NHS pension scheme; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Employee contributions to the national health service pension scheme are set at 6 per cent. of pensionable pay. However, manual workers are required to contribute at 5 per cent.

NHS Salaries

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average salary was of a general practitioner in  (a) 1997,  (b) 2001 and  (c) 2006; and what the average salary was of a primary care trust chief executive in England in (i) 2001 and (ii) 2006.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 26 January 2007
	Information on the average salary of general practitioners in England is not collected centrally. Figures based on information for Great Britain are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   £ 
			  Intended average net remuneration/income  
			 1997-98 46,031 
			 2001-02 56,510 
			   
			  Estimated average general practitioner net income (all sources), United Kingdom  
			 2004-05 100,000 
		
	
	The concept of intended average net remuneration disappeared with the introduction of the new general medical services contract in 2003-04. Information on general practitioner income is now derived from the HM Revenue and Customs tax self-assessment database which relates to income from all sources, national health service and private. Information for 2006-07 will not be available for some time.
	The Department does not collect details on the pay of individuals in primary care trusts (PCTs). We therefore cannot provide the hon. Gentleman with the average salary of their chief executives.
	NHS organisations are public bodies and as such, the pay of their senior executive teams is a matter of public record, published in their annual accounts.
	Following the reconfigurations proposed by "Commissioning A Patient-led NHS", the Department in July 2006 published a new "Pay Framework for very senior managers in strategic and special health authorities, primary care trusts and ambulance trusts". PCT chief executives are paid a spot rate salary which is determined (within a range) by the size of the population the PCT serves. These spot rate salaries are shown as follows reflecting the staged pay award for 2006-07 announced on 30 March 2006. The framework also provides for the payment of recruitment and retention premia (of up to 30 per cent. of the spot rate salary) and payments for additional duties (up to 10 per cent. of the spot rate salary) where appropriate.
	
		
			  Spot rates for PCT chief executives 
			   Weighted population  Salary from 1 November 2006 (£) 
			 Band one Up to 150,000 100,221 
			 Band two 150,000 to 300,000 110,771 
			 Band three 300,00 to 500,000 121,320 
			 Band four 500,000 to 1 million 131,870 
			 Band five Over 1 million 142,420

NHS Work Force

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage change in the NHS workforce she expects to occur in 2006-07; and what size of work force change of size is implied by this percentage in  (a) headcount and  (b) full-time equivalent terms.

Rosie Winterton: Following a period of rapid expansion in the national health service work force, the NHS is now moving towards a steady state where there is a closer match between affordable demand and supply.
	The assumptions underpinning departmental analysis about likely changes in the NHS work force are being tested with the service. Data on the change in the size and composition of the NHS work force will be published in the 2006 work force census in spring 2007.

NHS Work Force

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 22 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1600W, on NHS workforce, whether she has made any assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of offering guarantees of employment in the NHS to students leaving training.

Rosie Winterton: The Department of Health has consulted with NHS employers, strategic health authorities and the social partnership forum on maximising employment opportunities for newly qualified healthcare graduates. The consistent message from these consultations is that solutions need to be flexible, locally driven and founded on partnerships between employers, staff side and the higher education sector. Any new initiatives also need to be appropriately tested first.
	Accordingly, East of England Strategic Health Authority have offered to undertake a feasibility study into establishing a local voluntary guaranteed employment scheme. This will enable the Department and employers to assess the viability of such schemes. An initial scoping exercise is under way, the findings of which will be shared with the social partnership forum.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she has made an assessment of changes to  (a) provider and  (b) commissioner behaviour arising from the implementation of payment by results; and what plans she has to assess such behaviour.

Andy Burnham: Information about the programme of evaluation on the implementation of payment by results is available on the Department website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/OrganisationPolicy/FinanceAndPlanning/NHSFinancialReforms
	The programme includes work done by national health service organisations in South Yorkshire, where most trusts were early implementers of payment by results, as well as independent research being undertaken by the University of Aberdeen, together with the University of Dundee and the Office of Health Economics in London. Both of these programmes have looked, or will look at, aspects of provider and commissioner behaviour when implementing payment by results.

NHS: Finance

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the level of transitional levy proposed by each strategic health authority in England is for 2007-08; what the purpose of the levy is; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The Department aims to agree the 2007-08 financial and delivery plans with individual national health service organisations by the end of March 2007.
	As we have made clear in the 2007-08 NHS Operating Framework, strategic health authorities (SHAs) will not generally require the scale of contribution to SHA reserves seen in 2006-07, because of the return of the NHS to overall financial balance. Where continuing contributions are required, they must be subject to transparent rules clearly covering the purpose of the reserves and the timescale over which each organisation will recover its contribution. SHAs have been asked to ensure financial plans for 2007-08 for individual organisations are prepared on this basis.

NHS: Choose and Book

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) original and  (b) revised targets were for Choose and Book for (i) March and (ii) the rest of 2007.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 22 February 2007
	The NHS Operating Framework for 2006-07 set a target that 90 per cent. of general practitioner referrals to first consultant-led outpatient services should be made through the Choose and Book system by March 2007.
	The Operating Framework for 2007-08 sets out that primary care trusts need to ensure that they continue to meet existing Government commitments. Progress against national commitments will continue to be monitored by the Department.
	The Department has not revised this target.

NHS: Choose and Book

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations she has received on the Choose and Book system in the London borough of Bexley.

Andy Burnham: We are not aware of any recent representations on the Choose and Book system fromthe London borough of Bexley.

NHS: Manpower

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were employed by the NHS in each year since 1990; and how many were  (a) medical and  (b) administrative staff.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is shown in the following table, comparable data prior to 1995 is not available.
	
		
			  National health service staff in England by each specified staff group and area of work as at 30 September each specified year 
			  Headcount 
			   1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000 
			 Total employed staff (including general practitioner and practice staff) 1,052,428 1,056,501 1,058,686 1,071,562 1,097,376 1,117,841 
			  of which:   
			 All doctors (excluding retainers)(1) 84,459 86,584 89,619 91,837 93,981 96,319 
			 Total qualified nursing staff(2) 316,893 319,151 318,856 323,457 329,637 335,952 
			 Total qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff 91,498 94,320 96,298 99,656 102,391 105,910 
			 Qualified ambulance staff 14,508 14,720 14,941 14,781 14,783 14,755 
			 Administrative and clerical staff(3) 181,908 181,611 182,652 185,214 191,738 199,603 
		
	
	
		
			  Headcount 
			   2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Total employed staff (including general practitioner and practice staff) 1,166,016 1,223,824 1,282,930 1,331,087 1,365,388 
			  of which:  
			 All doctors (excluding retainers)(1) 99,169 103,350 108,993 117,036 122,345 
			 Total qualified nursing staff(2) 350,381 367,520 386,359 397,515 404,161 
			 Total qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff 110,241 116,598 122,066 128,883 134,534 
			 Qualified ambulance staff 14,855 15,609 15,957 17,272 18,117 
			 Administrative and clerical staff(3) 211,653 227,303 245,273 260,857 272,565 
			 (1) All doctors (excluding GP retainers) also excludes hospital practitioners and clinical assistants, most of who are GPs working part time in hospitals. (2) Nursing and midwifery figures exclude students on training courses leading to a first qualification as a nurse or midwife. (3) Admin and clerical staff working in the areas of clinical support, scientific, therapeutic and technical support, ambulance service support, central functions, hotel, property and estates.  Sources: The Information Centre for health and social care medical and dental and non-medical work force censuses, general and medical personal services statistics.

NHS: Public Participation

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she has received any representations from patients' groups regarding lack of consultation by NHS trusts.

Rosie Winterton: A large amount of correspondence is received by the Department from patients and their representatives each year, including on matters relating to health service consultation. There is no central record kept of the numbers of letters received in relation to health service consultation or of the issues to which they relate.

NHS: Vetting

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account is taken of  (a) convictions and  (b) accepted cautions when employing (i) doctors, (ii) nurses and (c) other healthcare workers to work for the NHS.

Rosie Winterton: It is matter for the individual national health service employer to consider declared convictions or cautions on a case-by-case basis. Guidance is available from the NHS Employers website on obtaining CRB checks at:
	www.nhsemployers.org.

NHS: Vetting

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses are waiting for the outcome of police checks through the Criminal Records Bureau.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not held centrally.

NHS: Working Hours

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the average working hours for  (a) staff in her Department,  (b) nurses,  (c) doctors,  (d) other clinicians and  (e) all other NHS staff in each year since 1997-98.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not held centrally for either the national health service or Department since staff work a great variety of both full and part-time hours and may work additionally through other mechanisms such as overtime and non-contracted hours. Of course, both the Department and NHS employers must comply with working time regulation requirements.

Operating Theatres

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of the merits of keeping operating theatres open into the evenings for non-emergency procedures.

Andy Burnham: In 2003-04, a number of national health service trusts piloted the Department's "Hospital at Night" project, which has subsequently been taken up by many acute hospitals across the service. The NHS Modernisation Agency also published a "Step Guide to Improving Operating Theatre Performance" in June 2002, which provides advice on improving the efficiency of operating theatres.
	However, no specific assessment has been made centrally and it is for NHS organisations locally to decide how best to use their hospital operating theatre capacity to deliver the best services for their patients.

Orthopaedics: Training

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the level of funding to be allocated to the training in specialist orthopaedic  (a) surgery and  (b) nursing.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 21 February 2007
	This information is not held centrally.

Palliative Care

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support her Department is providing in palliative care for  (a) children and  (b) adults in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 21 February 2007
	Primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible for commissioning and funding services for their resident population, including palliative care. It is for PCTs to determine the level of investment required to meet their locally identified priorities, and to commission and fund those services accordingly.
	The NHS Cancer Plan made a commitment to provide £50 million additional funding for adult specialised palliative care by 2004, and this has been delivered. This money has been made recurrent in PCT baseline allocations since 2006-07.
	In September 2006, I announced the creation of a £40 million capital fund which adult hospices will be able to bid for to improve their physical environments. This money will available to hospices from 2007-08.
	In May 2006, my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health, announced £27 million of funding for voluntary sector children's hospice services which is being made available over the three financial years 2006-07 to 2008-09. He has also announced an independent review of the long-term sustainability of funding for palliative care services for children, which is due to report shortly.

Patient Choice Schemes

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her Department's press statement of 23 January 2007 on patient choice, if she will give a breakdown by provider of the 200 hospitals and treatment centres referred to.

Andy Burnham: Information regarding the choosing your hospital national menu is available on the website www.nhs.uk. The information will be updated as new providers become eligible to join the national menu. The current list of providers eligible to offer services on the national menu is available at:
	http://www.nhs.uk/england/choice/pdfs/NationalMenu.pdf

Patients: Travel

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the hospital travel cost scheme has been expanded to cover referrals by health care professionals in a primary care setting.

Andy Burnham: The hospital travel cost scheme will be extended, to include patients referred by health care professionals in a primary care setting, following the conclusion and recommendations of the hospital travel costs scheme consultation which may be found at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/Consultations/LiveConsultations

Prescriptions

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many  (a) NHS prescriptions and  (b) NHS prescription items were issued in each of the last 10 years, broken down by (i) those attracting a charge and (ii) those receiving an exemption;
	(2)  how many  (a) NHS prescriptions and  (b) NHS prescription items were issued under an exemption in each of the last 10 years, broken down by reason for exemption.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 23 February 2007
	The following table shows the number of prescription forms and items in millions for the most recent available 10-year period.
	
		
			  Million 
			   Total forms charged  Total forms free  Total items charged  Total items free 
			  Community pharmacists and appliance contractors only 
			 1996 45.7 212.7 63.4 377.6 
			 1997 47.6 217.0 66.1 388.2 
			 1998 48.6 219.4 68.0 399.1 
			 1999 50.6 220.3 71.6 410.3 
			 2000 52.3 223.9 74.6 426.0 
			  
			  All dispensed items 
			 2001 59.4 255.7 85.5 501.6 
			 2002 60.7 264.7 88.4 528.6 
			 2003 60.7 275.4 89.5 560.2 
			 2004 60.3 289.0 90.0 596.1

Seroxat: Suicide

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effect of taking Seroxat/Paxil on suicide rates.

Caroline Flint: Since Paroxetine (brand name Seroxat) was first licensed its safety and that of other medicines in this class has been continually reviewed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and has been considered by the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM, the predecessor to the Commission on Human Medicines) on a number of occasions (in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001). In May 2003, in response to continuing public concern, an expert working group of the CSM was established to further review the safety of these medicines, with a particular focus on suicidal behaviour and the risk of withdrawal reactions.
	The conclusions and key findings of the expert group were communicated to health professionals on 6 December 2004. Overall, the expert group concluded that the balance of risks and benefits of all selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in adults remains positive. The key findings of the expert group in relation to suicidal behaviour in adults concluded that based on the available clinical trial data, both published and unpublished, a modest increase in the risk of suicidal thoughts and self-harm for SSRIs compared with placebo cannot be ruled out. It was also recommended that prescribers and patients should be made more aware of the side effect profile of these medicines and recommended the need for close monitoring of patients, particularly young adults, being treated for depressive illness or anxiety disorders.
	In reaching its conclusions the expert group considered a large body of evidence from a wide range of sources including spontaneous reports of adverse drug reactions (from health professionals and patients), clinical trials, epidemiological databases and the published literature. The published literature included studies which had examined the effect of recent increases in antidepressant prescribing (including SSRIs such as Paroxetine) on national suicide rates. With some exceptions, these studies generally conclude that recent rises in antidepressant prescribing have contributed to declines in suicide. Many factors influence suicide rates and generally definitive explanations for fluctuations in these rates cannot be ascertained. It is encouraging that the latest figures on suicide rates in England show that the national suicide rate continued to fall in 2005 and stood at its lowest ever level.
	The safety of Paroxetine remains under continual review. The United States Food and Drug Administration has recently completed a review of adult clinical trials for SSRIs and related antidepressants examining the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviour. These data are under consideration by the MHRA and other European regulatory authorities and new prescribing advice will be issued if any update is considered necessary.

Surgeon Productivity

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the productivity of surgeons who work both for the NHS and the private sector in their  (a) NHS and  (b) private sector work; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The Department does not examine the productivity of single staff groups. Delivering high quality healthcare services relies on all staff working together as a team and it is not possible to disentangle the input of single groups.
	However, the Department commissioned York University to undertake an analysis using hospital episode statistics data to examine activity rates for consultants in five surgical and five medical specialties across the national health service to support local discussion of consultant clinical activity. It did not look at support staff, teaching and research responsibilities and is intended as a benchmarking tool to support investigation of productivity and best practice at a local level. The results were published in October 2006 in "Delivering Quality and Value: Consultant Clinical Activity" which is available in the Library.

Surgery: Dewsbury

Shahid Malik: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting times for an operation in Dewsbury constituency were between  (a) 1987 and 1997 and  (b) 1997 and 2006.

Andy Burnham: The information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows the median waiting time for an in-patient admission in Dewsbury since 1997, for the years where data are available.
	
		
			  Median waiting time for an in-patient admission in Dewsbury (provider based) 
			   Month end  Organisation name  Median (weeks) 
			 1987 June Dewsbury District Health Authority 9.6 
			 1988 March Dewsbury District Health Authority 9.8 
			 1989 March Dewsbury District Health Authority 10.0 
			 1990 March Dewsbury District Health Authority 9.3 
			 1991 March Dewsbury District Health Authority 10.7 
			 1992 March Dewsbury District Health Authority 9.7 
			 1993 March Dewsbury District Health Authority 11.7 
			 1994 March Dewsbury Healthcare NHS Trust n/a 
			 1995 March Dewsbury Healthcare NHS Trust 11.2 
			 1996 March Dewsbury Healthcare NHS Trust 12.5 
			 1997 March Dewsbury Healthcare NHS Trust 13.2 
			 1998 March Dewsbury Healthcare NHS Trust 12.1 
			 1999 March Dewsbury Healthcare NHS Trust 9.2 
			 2000 March Dewsbury Healthcare NHS Trust 9.8 
			 2001 March Dewsbury Healthcare NHS Trust 9.5 
			 2002 March Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 10.4 
			 2003 March Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 12.0 
			 2004 March Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 10.4 
			 2005 March Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 9.8 
			 2006 March Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 6.3 
			 2006 December Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 6.5 
			  Notes:  1. Dewsbury District Health Authority became Dewsbury Healthcare NHS trust in the financial year 1993-04. This merged with other trusts in the financial year 2001-02 to form Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS trust.  2. There are no data available for Dewsbury for the financial year 1993-04.   Source: Department of Health, KH07.

University Hospitals of Leicester

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made of the potential impact on the professional development of staff at the university hospitals of Leicester of reductions in the training budget.

Rosie Winterton: Funding for developing the healthcare work force through the Multi Professional Education and Training levy (MPET) was allocated to SHAs in 2006-07 as part of a bundle of central budgets. This was done to allow strategic health authorities (SHAs) greater flexibility to use resources to address local priorities including financial deficits.
	For 2007-08 allocations for MPET have again been included in the bundle of central budgets. The MPET share of the bundle has been increased to reflect the costs of increasing numbers of trainees especially medical students and training grade doctors. Although MPET funding will not be ring fenced, there will be a more robust service level agreement which will seek to ensure that SHA decisions on what training to fund and the level of commissions of training places required are made on the basis of long term work force need. SHAs will be held to account on the basis of key outputs and not on the basis of spending a particular amount of money on work force development.

Varicose Vein Operations

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many varicose vein operations were performed by the NHS in each of the last five years.

Andy Burnham: The following table gives the number of varicose vein operations performed by the NHS in each of the last five years.
	
		
			  Operation description  2005-06  2004-05  2003-04  2002-03  2001-02 
			 L85 Ligation of varicose vein of leg 30,078 32,296 36,805 36,805 36,212 
			 L86 Injection into varicose vein of leg 2,918 1,822 1,436 1,436 1,625 
			 L87 Other operations on varicose vein of leg 56,981 59,904 67,571 67,571 63,753 
			  Total 89,977 94,022 105,812 105,812 101,590 
			  Notes: 1. Finished consultant episode (FCE) An FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that the figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year. 2. Ungrossed data Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed). 3. All operations count of episodes These figures represent a count of all FCE's where the procedure was mentioned in any of the 12 (four prior to 2002-03) operation fields in a hospital episode statistics (HES) record. A record is only included once in each count, even if an operation is mentioned in more than one operation field of the record.  Source: HES, The Information Centre for health and social care

Waiting Times

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to include periods of suspension in compiling hospital waiting list statistics.

Andy Burnham: It has been the Department policy throughout the period of waiting time collections that a patient's waiting time for inpatient treatment (ordinary admission or day case) may be suspended for medical or social reasons. Accordingly, these are reflected in the official waiting time statistics. It is good practice that patients are kept informed of any periods of suspension that may apply to them

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Airports: Sikhs

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions her Department has had with other EU member states on the right of Sikhs to wear a turban when travelling through European airports and passing through security checks.

Geoff Hoon: The Government respect the right of individuals to wear religious dress according to their own conscience and beliefs without interference from the Government. However, each passenger departing from a UK airport will undergo various security processes irrespective of their age, gender, ethnic background, religious beliefs or attire, to ensure that they are not carrying prohibited articles.
	In the UK there is no security requirement for the removal of turbans at security search points. Airport security staff employ various methods of screening which respect the cultural sensitivities of passengers, including private searches.
	There is currently no standard practice in terms of security on the removal of turbans among EU member states. Each country has its own regulations and practices. There have been no EU discussions of this issue.

Burma

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the impacts on  (a) Burma and  (b) British industry of a ban on British trade with Burma; whether she is reviewing the Government's policy on banning investment in Burma; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: The Government have a long-standing policy of discouraging British firms from trading with or investing in Burma. We offer no commercial services to companies wishing to trade or invest there. British firms who inquire about trade with Burma are informed of the grave political situation and the regime's atrocious human rights record.
	Very few UK companies choose to invest in Burma for these ethical reasons and because of the regime's economic mismanagement and corrupt business climate. As such any unilateral trade or investment ban would likely have little effect on the regime. We believe that multilateral sanctions are more effective and for this reason we support the EU Common Position, but continue to keep our policy on Burma under review.

Burma

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the political situation in Karen State, Burma.

Margaret Beckett: We remain concerned about the situation in Karen State. Attacks carried out by the Burmese army on civilians in northern and western Karen State have been particularly intense over the past year and have resulted in a significant increase in the number of internally displaced people and refugees on the Thai/Burmese border. We have repeatedly called for a halt to such offensives and have urged both the military regime and the Karen National Union to intensify their efforts to find a peaceful settlement that will bring about a permanent end to the conflict.

Burma: Politics and Government

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with which organisations she has recently discussed the political situation in Burma.

Ian McCartney: We regularly raise the situation in Burma with our international partners, regional and multilateral organisations, non-governmental organisations and advocacy groups as well as the regime itself.
	In June 2006, I called in the Burmese ambassador and in July wrote to the Burmese Foreign Minister, setting out our concerns about the political and human rights situation in Burma.
	On 18 September 2006, I raised the situation in Burma with Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Ambassadors, including the Burmese ambassador, and again on 4 December with the ASEAN Secretary-General. I discussed the human rights abuses taking place in Burma with Juan Mendez, the United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, on 27 June and 14 December 2006 and the UN Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Ibrahim Gambari, on 15 November 2006, following his visit to Burma. I have also raised the situation in Burma with the Governments of China, India, Japan, Thailand and South Korea.
	Additionally, on 24 January, I met representatives from Christian Solidarity Worldwide and from the Chin and Kachin ethnic groups to discuss the many difficulties faced by their respective communities.
	Most recently, on 15 February, I issued a statement condemning the Burmese Government's decision to extend the house arrest of U Tin Oo, Vice Chairman of the National League for Democracy and called again for the release of all political prisoners held in Burma.

Burma: Politics and Government

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what diplomatic representation the UK has in Burma; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: The UK has diplomatic relations with Burma and is represented by our embassy in Rangoon.
	This allows us to maintain contact with a wide variety of individuals and groups and to get a clearer picture of what is happening on the ground. It allows us to convey our views directly to the regime, and to run a range of humanitarian and other projects which benefit ordinary Burmese people. The embassy issues visas to enable Burmese people to visit and study in the UK, and offers a full range of consular services to British nationals in Burma.

Burundi: Human Rights

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on the human rights situation in Burundi.

Ian McCartney: Burundi's human rights record remains poor, with reports of torture by intelligence agents, and arbitrary detentions, ill-treatment, and extra-judicial killings by Government forces. Abuses against freedom of expression continued throughout 2006, with the arrests of several journalists and civil society figures. We continue to raise our concerns with the Burundian Government and call on them to promote and protect human rights and put an end to the climate of impunity.
	But there are signs of positive change. The remaining rebel group, the Forces Nationales de Libération, responsible for many human rights abuses, finally signed a ceasefire agreement with the Burundian Government in September 2006. Since then, the number of violent attacks against the rural population has decreased. This ceasefire is a significant step towards sustainable peace in Burundi.
	We will continue to press for the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Special Chamber, to bring justice to the Burundian people.

Departmental Briefing Papers

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what publications were contained in the pack she received on taking up her post with briefing material on the policy areas of the Department.

Ian McCartney: Over the first few weeks in the job, briefings and contributions from across the Department and agencies were provided for my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary. No record of specific documents or publications has been kept.

Eastern Africa

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens were taken into custody by forces of the Government of Ethiopia during recent military operations in Somalia; what reports she has received on the condition of those held; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: The Ethiopian Government have told us they do not have any British citizens in custody as a result of the recent military operations in Somalia.

Foreign Relations: Video Conferencing

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government maintains video recordings of video conferences held between  (a) the Prime Minister and  (b) her and foreign counterparts.

Margaret Beckett: The Government maintains no such recordings.

Iran

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of  (a) the recent Iran-Belarus Defence Agreement and  (b) whether there are any proliferation implications arising from the agreement.

Margaret Beckett: According to media reports, the Defence Ministers of Belarus and Iran signed a co-operation agreement on 22 January. The details have not been made public.
	Belarus, like other states, is bound by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1737 which inter alia bars the transfer to and import from Iran of items which could contribute to Iran's proliferation, sensitive nuclear activities or the development of nuclear weapons delivery systems. We expect Belarus to implement the resolution fully. We have lobbied the Belarusians on the Iranian nuclear programme on several occasions, and will continue to express our concerns in the future.

Lebanon: Cluster Munitions

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent progress she has made in securing assistance from Israel to assist international efforts to clear Lebanon of unexploded cluster munitions; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: We have asked the Government of Israel to hand over to the UN all relevant maps locating unexploded ordnance.
	Israel has passed some relevant documentation to the UN. We continue to support the UN's work.
	Israel also launched an investigation into the use of cluster munitions during the conflict between Israel and Hizbollah last year. This inquiry is ongoing and its findings will be made public once the investigation has concluded.

Lebanon: Cluster Munitions

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether she discussed the use of cluster munitions in Lebanon with  (a) the Israeli Foreign Secretary and  (b) the Israeli Defence Secretary when she met them on 6 February 2007; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: I did not discuss the issue of cluster bombs in my meetings on 6 February. However, we have held several discussions with Israel on the subject of cluster bombs, including calling on them to make a statement about their use of the weapons during the conflict last summer.
	Israel issued a statement saying they had used the weapons in accordance with International humanitarian law on 20 November 2006. Israel also launched an investigation into the use of cluster munitions during the conflict between Israel and Hizbollah last year. This is ongoing. Findings will be made public once the investigation has concluded.

Madagascar

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when her Department last held formal talks with representatives from Madagascar.

Ian McCartney: Officials last held discussions with the Malagasy chargé d'affaires in London on 3 January 2007, to pass on my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's congratulatory message following presidential elections in December 2006 and to lobby for the accreditation of our non-resident ambassador.

Malaysia: Military Decorations

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people have applied for the Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal; how many Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medals have been awarded; what the average timeframe was from application to issuance of the medal since its introduction; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: The Pingat Jasa Malaysia (PJM) is a commemorative medal issued by the Malaysian Government for service between August 1957 and August 1966. Records of the numbers of applications, numbers of medals issued, and the average timeframe from application to issue are not held by the Government.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is responsible for administering the policy relating to the acceptance and wear of non-British awards by British citizens. However, the Ministry of Defence has agreed to endorse applications for the PJM from veterans and to pass them on to the Malaysian high commission. Several thousand have been passed on, but no record of their numbers has been kept. Veterans who wish to check the progress of their applications should write to the Malaysian high commission.

Middle East

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether she discussed Israel's withholding of Palestinian tax revenues with her Israeli counterpart when she met her on 6 February 2007; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: I did not discuss the transfer of Palestinian tax revenues with Israeli Foreign Minister Livni during my visit to the region on 5-7 February. I did raise this with her on 2 January. We welcome Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and Palestinian President Abbas' meeting on 23 December 2006, and the resulting release of US$100 million in Palestinian tax revenues. We continue to call upon Israel to release all revenues withheld since 18 February 2006.

Middle East

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of progress towards  (a) restoring direct funding to the Palestinian Authority and  (b) the release to the Palestinian Authority of tax revenues being withheld by Israel; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: The EU has maintained its humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian civilian population. In 2006 the EU gave over €680 million to the Palestinian people, more than in any other year. The UK has contributed £12 million to the Temporary International Mechanism and announced in December 2005 a four-year, £76.6 million commitment to the UN Relief and Works Agency.
	We welcome Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and Palestinian President Abbas's meeting on 23 December 2006, and the resulting release of US$100 million in Palestinian tax revenues. We continue to call upon Israel to release all revenues withheld since 18 February 2006.

Middle East: Peace Negotiations

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications of recent events in the Palestinian Territories for the peace process; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: We remain concerned at the security situation in Gaza. On 7 February the Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that in 2007 86 Palestinians including 11 children had been killed in intra-Palestinian violence and 486 injured. Hamas and Fatah have since renewed the ceasefire, which is still holding. Israeli military actions have also killed civilians in Gaza and the West Bank. We have repeatedly raised our concerns with the Government of Israel. We have also raised our concerns about the firing of Qassam rockets at Israeli towns with Palestinian President Abbas. We welcome his call for the firing of these rockets to stop
	We welcome Saudi Arabia's efforts to broker a National Unity Government with a meeting between the parties in Mecca. The news from Mecca is an interesting and important development. We will need to study these proposals carefully and discuss them with our European and other partners. We also welcome the outcomes from the Quartet meeting in Washington on 2 February, particularly the commitment to a renewed political process with the aim of launching meaningful negotiations, the upcoming meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Olmert, President Abbas, and US Secretary of State Rice and the Quartet's commitment to meet regularly at both the principals' and envoys' level.

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will release the negotiating record for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty at the United Nations between 1965 and 1968 from the National Archives.

Kim Howells: The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty was negotiated in the Eighteen Nation Disarmament Committee in Geneva; the plenary statements and documents of the participants are already publicly available. Foreign and Commonwealth Office internal papers on the negotiations are open at the National Archives. Full file lists can be obtained from the National Archives website at:
	http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue.

Pakistan: Entry Clearances

Kitty Ussher: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the average length of time taken to obtain a UK visa from the British embassy in Islamabad was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Kim Howells: I refer my hon. Friend to the following table of statistics compiled by officials:
	
		
			  Public service agreement (PSA), figures for Islamabad from August 2006 to January 2007 
			   Percentage of target met  Average days taken (failed targets)  Average days taken (succeeded targets)  Average days taken (all apps) 
			  Month  PSA1  PSA2  PSA3  Total  PSA1  PSA2  PSA3  PSA1  PSA2  PSA3  PSA1  PSA2  PSA3 
			 August 30 90 47 65 4.9 27.79 104.2 0.72 6.84 78.07 3.65 8.86 90.22 
			 September 59 66 82 65 6.7 19.76 104.23 0.76 6.78 75.05 3.2 11.23 80.3 
			 October 75 77 77 76 5.85 20.05 96.17 0.4 8.34 67.86 1.76 11.06 74.39 
			 November 75 95 94 90 3.61 34.55 109.51 0.62 5.32 67.96 1.37 6.68 70.49 
			 December 62 97 95 88 4.55 35.39 101.29 0.6 3.04 62.32 2.09 4.09 64.18 
			 January 76 85 91 84 7.37 19.24 93.56 0.48 6.93 65.68 2.12 8.74 68.3 
			  Notes:  1. PSA 1: 90 per cent. of straightforward non-settlement visa applications to be processed and available return to the applicant within 24 hours from the date of receipt by the visa section.  2. PSA 2: 90 per cent. of non-settlement applications requiring further enquiries or interview to be decided within 15 working days from the date of receipt by a visa section.  3 PSA 3: 90 per cent. of applicants for settlement visa to be assessed or interviewed within 12 weeks. 4. These statistics have not been published and should be used for information purposes only.  Source: CRS Monthly PSA Summary 19th February 2007. 
		
	
	The number of applications for entry clearance submitted at our High Commission in Islamabad increased significantly in 2006 with demand in August up 49 per cent. compared with August 2005. Regrettably, at this time the visa section in our High Commission in Islamabad continued to carry significant vacancies at both Entry Clearance Officer and Entry Clearance Manager level and this situation was not rectified until the end of October.
	Demand in January 2007 was up 13.9 per cent. compared with January 2006. As the table shows, a high proportion of straightforward applicants continued to receive a response within PSA time scales. Local stakeholders continue to assess the operation as the most efficient service in Pakistan. However, UK Visas is constantly striving to improve its service and meet its targets.

Pakistan: Entry Clearances

Kitty Ussher: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and what proportion of UK visas refused at the British embassy in Islamabad were later granted on appeal in the latest period for which figures are available.

Kim Howells: The April 2006 to January 2007 records for the visa section at our high commission in Islamabad show a total of 68,005 refusals. We do not have precise figures of the number of appeals allowed as a number of appeals made against these decisions are still in the appeals system and have not been decided. To date, approximately 44 per cent. of appeals have been allowed by an immigration judge. Our visa section in Islamabad is currently in discussion with Home Office Presenting Officers Units in the UK to establish a process to record the exact figures.

Pakistan: Entry Clearances

Kitty Ussher: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the average length of time taken was for UK visas issued through the British embassy in Islamabad to be issued once the decision was taken that the application was valid in the latest period for which figures are available.

Kim Howells: At our high commission in Islamabad, the average time taken from the entry clearance officer deciding to issue entry clearance to the actual issue of a visa is within 24 hours. The only exceptions are in cases where the initial decision has subsequently been overturned by the entry clearance manager or following an appeal, where the passport is not held on file and has to be requested from the applicant; following receipt of a passport, visas are usually issued within 24 hours.

Project Al Yamamah

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has received concerning the decision of the Attorney-General to halt the Serious Fraud Office investigation into arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

Margaret Beckett: The decision to discontinue the investigation was taken by the Director of the Serious Fraud Office, not my noble and learned Friend the Attorney-General.
	I have received correspondence from members of the public forwarded by Parliamentarians on this issue but no formal representations have been made.

Serbia: International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of Serbia's compliance with its obligations to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of Serbia's progress towards compliance with the prerequisites for European Union membership; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: In May 2006 the European Commission suspended Serbia's Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) negotiations with the EU because of their lack of co-operation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). At the 14-15 December 2006 European Council, the EU reaffirmed its commitment to Serbia's European course. Following Serbia's parliamentary elections on 21 January, the United Kingdom hopes that the political leaders in Serbia will quickly form a Government committed to pursuing Serbia's European course. As EU Foreign Ministers made clear at the 12-13 February General Affairs and External Relations Council, the new Government in Belgrade will need to show clear commitment and take concrete and effective action for full co-operation with the ICTY to enable the Commission to resume SAA negotiations.

Somalia

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to her answer of 25 January 2007,  Official Report, columns 1954-55W, on Somalia, what factors she took into account when deciding not to recognise Somaliland; and in what circumstances she would review government policy and recognition.

Margaret Beckett: We do not recognise Somaliland as an independent state. The factors we keep under review include: the position of the rest of the international community, none of whom recognise Somaliland; Somaliland's achievements over the last decade which we readily acknowledge and continue to support; the position of the Somaliland authorities; and opinion within Somaliland and that of African countries and the African Union. The UK believes it is for these African partners to take the lead on the question of Somaliland's future international status. We hope that Somaliland will engage in early dialogue with the Transitional Federal Government in Somalia and that a mutually acceptable solution for their future relationship can be agreed.

Somalia: Diplomatic Service

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what level of diplomatic representation her Department maintains in  (a) Somalia and  (b) Somaliland.

Margaret Beckett: We have no diplomatic representation in Somalia, including Somaliland. Relations with the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia are handled by our high commission in Nairobi; and those with the Somaliland authorities are handled by our embassy in Addis Ababa.

Somaliland

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how often  (a) she and  (b) her officials are in contact with the Somaliland authorities.

Margaret Beckett: I have not met any representatives of the Somaliland authorities. However, my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, has met Mr. Dahir Rayale, the "President" of the Somaliland authorities on several occasions, most recently in August 2006. Officials, including our ambassador in Addis Ababa, are also in regular contact with representatives of the Somaliland authorities.

Somaliland

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when  (a) she and  (b) her officials last met her counterpart in Somaliland.

Margaret Beckett: I have not met any representatives of the Somaliland authorities. My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, last met Mr. Abdillahi Duale, the "Foreign Minister" of the Somaliland authorities, on 26 January in the margins of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa. Our ambassador in Addis Ababa and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Africa Director also met with Mr. Abdillahi Duale in Addis Ababa on 9 February.

Somaliland

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the discussions on Somaliland at the recent African Union summit in Addis Ababa.

Margaret Beckett: The UK attended the recent African Union summit as an observer and did not have any formal status or participate in the discussions. We understand that the question of Somaliland was raised at Foreign Minister level but that there was little detailed discussion.

Somaliland

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which  (a) Minister and  (b) official represented the UK at the recent African Union summit in Addis Ababa which discussed Somaliland; in what discussions on Somalia the Minister or official took part; and what the outcome was of these discussions.

Margaret Beckett: My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, and our ambassador in Addis Ababa, who is our Permanent Representative to the African Union (AU), attended the recent AU summit in Addis Ababa as observers. Lord Triesman had meetings in the margins of the summit with President Yusuf of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and Prime Minister Meles of Ethiopia, during which Somalia was discussed. They agreed there was currently a window of opportunity for Somalia which should be maximised through pursuing an inclusive political dialogue, the early deployment of the AU Mission to Somalia and increased assistance for reconstruction. Lord Triesman also met Mr. Abdillahi Duale, "Foreign Minister" of the Somaliland authorities, to discuss the situation in Somalia and areas of co-operation with the UK.

Somaliland

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the state of democracy in Somaliland; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: We welcome the progress that has been made in Somaliland towards stability and democracy. The elections last year were another positive step forward in the democratisation process. We continue to support the development of democratic institutions in Somaliland.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what international discussions are taking place with the rebel forces in Darfur; and what support the UK is providing to assist the discussions.

Ian McCartney: The UN and African Union (AU) are leading the political process for Darfur. Their respective envoys, Jan Eliasson and Salim Ahmed Salim, visited Sudan, including Darfur, from 11 to 17 February to prepare the ground for talks between the parties. They secured the commitment of the Government of Sudan and various factions of the rebel movements to engage in a political process.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development and my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, remain in contact with the AU and UN on urgently taking forward the political process. Officials from our embassy in Khartoum met the UN and AU envoys on 16 February. The UK is also funding an expert to support the AU on the Darfur-Darfur Dialogue and Consultation. We will continue to work closely with the AU and UN.

Sudan: Human Rights

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations she has made to the Government of Sudan on the right of the UN to choose who should be on its human rights delegation to that country.

Ian McCartney: It is unacceptable that the Government of Sudan have not given visas to the Human Rights Council's Mission to Sudan, particularly given President Bashir's assurance to the UN Secretary-General that it would be allowed in. We are protesting to the Government of Sudan about the issue and have urged the European Union to do the same.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Burnley Building Bridges Project

Kitty Ussher: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when officials from her Department plan to visit the Burnley Building Bridges project.

Phil Woolas: My officials met with a delegation from the Building Bridges project on 24 January 2007 and were impressed with the positive steps the project has taken to engage all sections of the local community in developing strong relations and sustainable dialogue. Officials are liaising with the project co-ordinator to identify a date in April for this visit.

Council Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the cost of writing off the housing debt of local authorities  (a) still maintaining their housing stock on historic terms and  (b) which have carried out large scale voluntary transfers.

Yvette Cooper: The opening Capital Financing Requirement of local authorities within their housing revenue accounts at the start of 2006-07 was £14.5 billion. This equates to the level of debt that would need to be paid if local authorities were to have all their housing debt cleared.
	Since 1997 approximately £2.3 billion has been paid by central Government to clear any remaining debt in local authority housing revenue accounts after local authorities had used transfer receipts from registered social landlords from large scale voluntary transfers of housing to pay off housing debt.

Council Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of  (a) the number of council houses in local authority control at the end of the 2006-07 financial year and  (b) the value of the stock; and what estimate she has made of the cost in (i) gap funding and (ii) debt write offs of transferring such stock to the private sector.

Yvette Cooper: The Department for Communities and Local Government estimate that there will be 2,084,045 dwellings in local authority control by the end of the financial year 2006-07. Valuations of the total stock are not held centrally. However the value of that stock was estimated to be £91.4 billion in 1999.
	We have not made any estimate of either gap funding or overhanging debt payment cost in the event of a tenant supported transfer of those dwellings to registered social landlords.
	The housing debt associated with these dwellings is £14.5 billion.

Council Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the reduction of £4.3 billion in the total debt on council housing mentioned in her answer to parliamentary question no. 49736 includes  (a) repayments from Right to Buy receipts and  (b) capital receipts from housing transfers.

Yvette Cooper: The reduction of debt in respect of local authorities' housing stock referred to in my hon. Friend's question, which occurred from 2000-01 to 2005-06, does include repayments from Right to Buy receipts and receipts from transfers to registered social landlords.
	The reduction is also caused by receipts arising from other disposals including vacant housing land and voluntary revenue payments. We do not disaggregate the sources by which debt is reduced, and therefore cannot apportion them to any particular disposal type.

Departments: Furniture

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many items of furniture were  (a) lost and  (b) stolen from her Department in each year since 1997; and what the value was of those items in each year.

Angela Smith: Communities and Local Government was created on 5 May 2006. The following information goes back to May 2002, and includes data for CLG's predecessor Department, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (which was formed on 29 May 2002) and its agencies. The data requested on losses and thefts prior to this date are not held centrally and therefore cannot be provided.
	No items of furniture belonging to CLG or the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and its agencies have been reported as lost or stolen since 29 May 2002.
	This answer does not include the Government offices who carry out functions on behalf of 10 Government Departments.

Departments: Official Cars

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many vehicles belonging to her Department were  (a) lost and  (b) stolen in each year since 1997; and what the (i) make and model and (ii) value was of each vehicle.

Angela Smith: Communities and Local Government (CLG) was created on 5 May 2006. The following information goes back to May 2002, and includes data for CLG's predecessor Department, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (which was formed on 29 May 2002) and its agencies. The data requested on losses and thefts prior to this date are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	No vehicles belonging to CLG or the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and its agencies have been reported as stolen since 29 May 2002.
	Following the emergency nationwide firefighting cover by the armed forces the following vehicles were written off (lost) following operational damage:
	2003-04—22no. Bedford RLHZ Self Propelled Pumps (Green Goddesses) were considered beyond economic repair and scrapped. Each vehicle was valued at £2,250 as of July 2003.
	2004-05—5no. Bedford RLHZ Self Propelled Pumps (Green Goddesses) were considered beyond economic repair and scrapped. Each vehicle was valued at £1,800 as of July 2004.
	The scrap value for each of these vehicles varied between £150 and £250.
	This answer does not include the Government offices who carry out functions on behalf of 10 Government Departments.

Government Office for London

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) purpose,  (b) role and  (c) aims are of the Government office for London.

Angela Smith: As with the other Government offices in each of the nine English regions, the Government office for London (GOL) delivers policies and programmes for 10 central Government Departments, joining them up to ensure better outcomes for local people. GOL leads the negotiation of local area agreements between central Government and local authorities in London, and also houses the multi-agency London resilience team. GOL advises Ministers and Departments on London policy and reflects the views of London organisations to Whitehall, and ensures that London organisations are able to deal with one organisation rather than 10 separate Whitehall Departments.

Government Office for London

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) press releases,  (b) letters in response to hon. Members,  (c) letters in response to members of the public and  (d) policy papers were produced by the Government office for London in each of the last 10 years, broken down by month.

Angela Smith: This information is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Government Office for London

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff were employed by the Government office for London in each of the last 10 years, broken down by month; and what the staffing budget was in each year.

Angela Smith: The Government office for London staffing figures from 1997-2007 are as follows:
	
		
			  As at April:  Number 
			 1997 274 
			 1998 305 
			 1999 390 
			 2000 370 
			 2001 240 
			 2002 260 
			 2003 288 
			 2004 325 
			 2005 308 
			 2006 303 
			 2007 276 
		
	
	
		
			  2006 
			   Number 
			 April 303 
			 May 300 
			 June 306 
			 July 306 
			 August 304 
			 September 304 
			 October 301 
			 November 279 
			 December 279 
			 January 276 
		
	
	
		
			   Annual pay costs (£ million) 
			 1996 — 
			 1997 — 
			 1998 10.3 
			 1999 10.8 
			 2000 9.1 
			 2001 8.8 
			 2002 10.0 
			 2003 10.5 
			 2004 12.6 
			 2005 12.3 
			 2006 12.0

Homelessness: EC Action

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions her Department has had with other Government Departments on a cross-departmental response to the possible effect of European Union enlargement on homelessness services.

Yvette Cooper: Communities and Local Government officials have met with the Home Office, Department for Work and Pensions, Department of Health and the Cabinet Office to discuss a cross-departmental response to homelessness among Eastern Europeans from the new accession countries. Communities and Local Government and the Home Office have given £497,000 to date to central London local authorities to support their work with the small number of people from the accession states who end up sleeping rough on the streets. The Home Office recently announced further funding of £107,000 in 2007-08 for Westminster city council.
	The Improvement and Development Agency and the Audit Commission are also taking forward work on the Government's "Sharing Migration Good Practice" programme which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced last December.

Housing

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) statutory provisions and  (b) departmental guidelines provide authorisation for action by housing associations in respect of (i) refurbishment of their existing stock, (ii) new build and (iii) replacement of existing stock by higher density new build; and what financial incentives are provided to housing associations in each case.

Yvette Cooper: Housing associations are independent not-for-profit organisations who are regulated by the Housing Corporation, a non-departmental public body.
	Sections 18, 20, 21, 27 and 28 of the Housing Act, 1996 set out the statutory provisions to provide and recover grant via the Housing Corporation to registered social landlords (RSLs) and other developers in respect of housing activities as specified under Section 2 of the Housing Act 1996 of refurbishment of existing stock, new build and replacement of existing stock.
	The Department has not published guidelines on the conduct of these activities but approves the Housing Corporation's prospectus for the Affordable Housing Programme. More specifically Housing Corporation policy on providing grant is as follows:
	(i) for work to existing stock: funding for maintenance is available only for pre-1988 stock and is provided only exceptionally taking account of the level of housing associations' own resources and their ability to fund such works themselves. For re-improvements to existing stock, funding will be available only if the improvements meet a regionally identified priority need (such as for supported or sheltered housing);
	(ii) for new build, grant is awarded based on a competition, for schemes that meet regionally identified priorities, following a value for money assessment by the Corporation;
	(iii) for replacement of existing stock by higher density new build, grant is awarded based on a competition, for schemes that meet regionally identified priorities, following a value for money assessment by the Corporation. Additionally, in some regions (those where this is supported by the Regional Housing Board advice) there is a requirement that replacement schemes should show a net gain in the number of social rented properties.
	The Department also enters into gap funding grant arrangements with RSLs who take negatively valued housing stock through voluntary transfer from local authorities. Current guidance is contained within the Department's published Housing Transfer Manual 2005 (and 2006 Supplement).
	In June 2006 the Department issued "A Decent Home: Definition and Guidance for Implementation for all local authorities and RSLs". The guidance explains a number of Decent Homes policy amendments and seeks to clarify issues that have arisen in the implementation of the programme. It also sets out how we see social landlords building on the success of the programme working more flexibly to go beyond the Decent Homes programme to undertake more radical solutions to transform some of the poorest neighbourhoods into mixed sustainable communities.
	We also want to encourage local authorities, ALMOs and RSLs to ensure they are considering the need for new build in their area alongside decent homes.

Housing: West Midlands

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people in  (a) Coventry and  (b) the west midlands are on housing waiting lists.

Yvette Cooper: Information is available on numbers of households rather than people. However, the number of households on the waiting list for social housing in  (a) Coventry and  (b) the west midlands, as at 1 April each year, is published on the Communities and Local Government website in Table 600. The links for this table are as follows and the table has been placed in the Library of the House.
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/embedded_object.asp?id=l 163853
	Local authorities in England report the numbers of households on their housing waiting list as at 1 April in their annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix returns. Not everyone on the waiting list is necessarily in urgent housing need. The waiting list includes those who consider social housing as their preferred or one of a number of housing options, and those who decide to get onto the waiting list ladder before they need or want to move house—particularly where the priority system is heavily based on waiting time.

Housing: Zero Carbon Plan

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assumptions her Department has made about electric heating in the context of the Government's zero carbon housing plan; what discussions she has had about the role of electric heating in a long-term housing policy; and if she will take steps to ensure electric heating is retained as part of a long-term sustainable energy and housing strategy.

Angela Smith: Electric heating will always have a place in homes. The industry has indicated it will continue to improve efficiencies and innovate in conjunction with the other building interests and the electricity supply industries so that annual carbon burdens can be reduced while still providing the internal environments that householders need.
	Building regulations set overall performance standards expressed in terms of annual carbon emissions. They do not prescribe means of meeting these standards. The electric heating industry was extensively consulted in advance of the amendments to the building regulations that came into effect in 2006 and I expect that they will respond to our consultation on "Building a Greener Future" published last month. The consultation proposes further amendments of the building regulations in 2010, 2013 and 2016 and in the normal way there will be detailed technical consultations before changes are made.

Liveability Fund

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much the Liveability Fund spent in each region of England in the most recent year for which figures are available, broken down by programme.

Yvette Cooper: The Liveability Fund provided £89 million over three years (2003-06) to support local authorities to achieve innovations in transforming the quality of public spaces. Expenditure of the fund in its final year, 2005-06, amounted to £37.5 million, the regional break down of which is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  2005-06 
			  Region  Pilot  Amount (£) 
			 Eastern Ipswich 1,680,000 
			  Luton 1,315,000 
			  Maldon 1,315,000 
			
			 East Midlands High Peak 1,071,500 
			  Leicester 1,510,000 
			  Mansfield 1,344,000 
			
			 London Camden 1,510,000 
			  Baling 1,242,000 
			  Greenwich 1,685,000 
			
			 North East Castle Morpeth 1,120,000 
			  Easington 1,461,000 
			  NE Lines 1,071,500 
			  N Tyneside 1,081,000 
			
			 North West Blackburn 1,344,000 
			  Bury 1,344,000 
			  Ellesmere Port 1,373,000 
			
			 South East Havant 1,685,000 
			  Medway 1,680,000 
			  Spelthome 633,000 
			
			 South West Gloucester 1,120,000 
			  N Dorset 1,680,000 
			  W Cornwall 1,510,000 
			
			 West Midlands Coventry 1,510,000 
			  Dudley 1,510,000 
			  Worcestershire 1,510,000 
			
			 Yorkshire and Humber Doncaster 1,685,000 
			  Sheffield 1,510,000 
			
			 Total — 37,500,000

Planning: Industry

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much previously designated industrial land was transferred to residential use in each of the last 10 years.

Yvette Cooper: The information available is from Land Use Change Statistics set out in the following table.
	The data show annual totals of land moving from an industrial use to a residential use. Between 1995 and 2004 1,895 hectares of land changed from industrial land use to residential.
	
		
			   Total land use changed from industry to residential (hectares)  Percentage of all land changing to residential that was previously industry 
			 1990 170 2.1 
			 1991 110 2.2 
			 1992 95 1 .7 
			 1993 100 1 .7 
			 1994 120 1 .8 
			 1995 150 2.3 
			 1996 120 2.0 
			 1997 170 2.7 
			 1998 195 3.1 
			 1999 n/a 3.6 
			 2000 190 2.8 
			 2001 215 3.2 
			 2002 235 3.9 
			 2003 215 3.1 
			 2004 215 5.3 
			
			  1995-2004  1,895  3.1 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest five hectares. 2. There is an inevitable time-lag between land use change occurring and it being recorded, therefore data are constantly being updated. 3. The data in the table above are based on records received from Ordnance Survey up to September 2006. 4. 1999 data are incomplete for absolute amounts but percentages are robust.

Religion: Equality

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what factors were taken into account when deciding  (a) to include religion as an equality strand covered by the Commission for Equality and Human Rights and  (b) not to include political belief or expression as an equality strand.

Phil Woolas: Part 2 of the Equality Act 2006 protects people from discrimination on grounds of religion or belief—in this context "belief" includes philosophical beliefs, and also any lack of belief. Both in the Government's Strength in Diversity consultation exercise on a Community Cohesion and Race Equality Strategy and the White Paper, "Fairness for All", on the proposals for the creation of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights, there were strong voices calling for the extension of protection against religious discrimination, which the Government took into account. In neither case was there an equivalent call for protection from discrimination on grounds of political beliefs. The Government also took account of the imbalance that had occurred through case law under the Race Relations Act in which Jews and Sikhs were afforded protection while members of other, multi-ethnic, religions were not.
	The coverage of Commission for Equality and Human Rights duties is derived from the underlying equality legislation, including discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief.

Temporary Accommodation: Children

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homeless households with dependent children there were in each form of temporary accommodation in 2006-07 in each government region.

Yvette Cooper: Information reported each quarter by local authorities about their activities under homelessness legislation includes the number of households in temporary accommodation on the last day of the quarter, and, since 2002, those that include dependent children and/or expectant mothers.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 7 December 2006,  Official Report, columns 700-701W.